Republican Party (United States) presidential candidates, 2008

John McCain, born August 29, 1936, in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, Senator from Arizona. Born into a military family, he became a naval aviator and POW during the Vietnam War. Often characterized as a Republican maverick in the Senate, he is well-known. In 2000, he failed in his attempt against George W. Bush for the Republican nomination: McCain continued his ultimately unsuccessful campaign long after the other Republican candidates had united behind Bush.

McCain's bipartisan compromise on judicial nominations and his strong support of campaign finance reform have drawn the ire of many groups,^[5] However, his party stands with him on issues concerning foreign policy and government spending. On November 15, 2006, McCain announced he would form an exploratory committee. On the Late Show with David Letterman on February 28, 2007, he announced he would seek the GOP presidential nomination. He made a formal announcement on April 25, 2007. On November 4, McCain was defeated for the presidency by Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee.^[6][7]

Rudy Giuliani, born May 24, 1944, in New York, former mayor of New York City. Giuliani said on October 2, 2005, that he would look at the possibility of running for President. On November 13, 2006, he announced that he was forming an exploratory committee. He has led several state and nationwide polls for the Republican nomination and the general election, and has been mentioned by many media sources as a possible candidate since the 9/11 attacks and a speech to the 2004 Republican Convention.^[8] (See polls below) Giuliani is pro-choice, and supports a type of civil union between same sex couples and agrees for legal and medical reasons that same sex relationships should get the same rights under the law. He also believes in gun control and agrees with harsh punishment for illegal weapons or non permitted weapons. While opinions differ, some think that these positions could help him, should he secure the nomination, in the general election; others question whether the Republican base would support a nominee with Giuliani's social positions. On February 5, 2007, Giuliani unofficially entered the race for the 2008 U.S. presidential election by filing a "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission, but legally keeping him at the same level as he was while running an exploratory committee.^[9] On February 15, Giuliani officially announced that he was running on CNN's Larry King Live show.^[10] Had he received the GOP nomination and been elected, Giuliani would have been the first Italian-American to hold the office of president, as well as the second Roman Catholic after John F. Kennedy. Giuliani finished third in the Florida primary on January 29, 2008. The next day he withdrew from the race and endorsed John McCain.^[11]

Jim Gilmore, a Draft for President group was formed in August 2006, encouraging former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore to run for president after he was seen traveling to the presidential primary states. In November 2006, Gilmore told ABC News that a 2008 presidential run was one of several possibilities he is considering.^[17] On December 19, 2006, Gilmore announced he was forming an exploratory committee for a presidential candidacy.^[18] Gilmore announced on December 20, 2006, that he would launch his exploratory committee on January 2, 2007.^[19] Perhaps hoping to mirror the surprising 2004 campaign of Democrat Howard Dean, another former governor with little national recognition when he entered the race, Gilmore declared that he represents "the Republican wing of the Republican Party" echoing the popular Dean quotation. Gilmore declared his candidacy from the Des Moines, Iowa GOP headquarters on April 26, 2007. Gilmore, however, raised a mere $380,000 in the first half of 2007, which he cited as a reason why he withdrew from the presidential race on July 14, 2007, and endorsed John McCain.^[20]

Duncan Hunter, born May 31, 1948, in Riverside, California, U.S. Representative from that state and former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Hunter formally announced his presidential candidacy in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on January 25, 2007. He is known for his strong stance against illegal immigration, and opposition to free trade agreements like North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization.^[21] He introduced H.R. 552, The Right to Life Act, "to implement equal protection . . . for the right to life of each born and preborn human person"; it has over 100 co-sponsors. Hunter withdrew from the race on January 19, 2008 after a poor showing in the Nevada Republican caucuses, and endorsed Mike Huckabee. ^[22][23]

Mike Huckabee, born August 24, 1955, governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.Huckabee is the author of several books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, a public speaker, and a musician; he plays bass guitar in his rock band, Capitol Offense. He is well known for having lost 110 pounds (50 kg) in a very short time and then advocating a healthy lifestyle.^[24] He and his wife, Janet, have three grown children: John Mark, David, and Sarah. He announced his candidacy on January 28, 2007. Because he was an ordained minister, he had a high number of Evangelical supporters. After Mitt Romney withdrew from the race, Huckabee chose to keep his campaign going despite the fact McCain was the presumptive nominee. Following losses to John McCain in the Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island primaries, he ended his presidential campaign the evening of March 4, 2008, and endorsed him the next day.^[25]

Ron Paul, born August 20, 1935, in Green Tree, Pennsylvania, is a long time U.S. Representative from Texas with a strong constitutionalist and libertarian voting record. Nicknamed "Dr. No" for his opposition to tax increases and spending bills, Paul has chastened his fellow Republicans for abandoning the party's commitment to limited government, and for helping to create an unsustainable national debt now in the trillions of dollars.^[26] Paul seeks to "reinstate the Constitution and restore the Republic."^[27] Paul ran for President as a Libertarian nearly two decades ago. He is opposed to the Iraq War and had the distinction of being one of only seven Republican congressmen who voted against Iraq War authorization in October 2002. He has also opposed George W. Bush and the majority of Republican congressmen on the PATRIOT Act.

On January 11, 2007, Paul filed papers to form an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential race.^[28][29] He formally declared his candidacy 12 March 2007 as a guest on Washington Journal on C-SPAN.^[30][31] On February 20, 2007, Paul's exploratory committee posted on YouTube a formal video of him explaining his reason for running.^[32] Paul did well in Republican straw polls and has broken several fundraising records including raising the most money ever raised in 24 hours, when Paul raised over $6.3 million on December 16, 2007 as a part of a moneybomb celebrating the Boston Tea Party.

On June 12, he withdrew from the race.^[4] He said that he would not endorse John McCain the Presumptive Nominee for President. He then went on to endorse Constitution party candidate Chuck Baldwin for president.^[33]

Mitt Romney, born March 12, 1947, in Michigan, is former Governor of Massachusetts; he did not seek a second term in November 2006. Romney is running on his record as co-founder of Bain Capital, the CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and his record as Governor of Massachusetts. Although he ran as a moderate for the office of Governor of Massachusetts and during his failed Senate bid in 1994, he supported more conservative positions as his term progressed. Romney formed a presidential exploratory committee on January 3, 2007, the day he left the governor's office.^[34]

Romney officially announced his candidacy on February 13, 2007 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.^[35][36] On February 7, 2008, Romney announced that he was withdrawing from the race, and endorsed John McCain.^[37]

Tom Tancredo, born December 20, 1945, in Colorado, U.S. Representative from that state and leading advocate for more restrictive immigration policies. On April 2, 2007, Rep. Tancredo announced his official candidacy on Iowa talk radio station 1040 WHO. Tancredo has a dedicated grassroots following among paleoconservatives. He has visited early Presidential primary states such as New Hampshire, Michigan and Iowa to begin building popular support and has polled favorably amongst grassroots Republicans. Tancredo announced on January 16, 2007, that he was forming an exploratory committee.^[38] Tancredo was one of three who raised his hand in the May 3, 2007, Republican candidates debate when asked "Is there anybody on the stage who does not believe in evolution?"."^[39] On December 20, 2007, Tancredo withdrew from the race and endorsed Mitt Romney.^[40] After Romney has withdrew from the race, Tancredo threw his support behind John McCain.

Fred Dalton Thompson, born August 19, 1942, former Senator from Tennessee and actor, best known for playing D.A. Arthur Branch on Law & Order. There was speculation that Thompson would run for Governor of Tennessee in 2006, but he declined to run against the popular Governor Phil Bredesen. Regarding the 2008 presidential race, on March 11, 2007 Thompson said "I'm giving some thought to it. Going to leave the door open. A lot of people think it's late already. I don't really think it is, although the rules of the game have changed somewhat. ... I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different."^[41] On June 1, Thompson announced he had established a preliminary campaign committee, thus taking his first formal step toward an official presidential bid.^[42] On September 5, he officially entered the presidential race.^[43] On January 22, 2008 he dropped out of the race, and endorsed John McCain.^[44][45]

Tommy Thompson, born November 19, 1941, in Elroy, Wisconsin, is the former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and was Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He recently announced interest in the 2008 nomination and, on December 15, 2006, announced that he had formed an exploratory committee.^[46] He officially announced his candidacy on April 1, 2007.^[47] After a poor showing in the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll, Tommy Thompson announced on the following day that he is withdrawing from the race, and endorsed Rudy Giuliani. After Giuliani withdrew from the race, Thompson threw his support behind John McCain.

Prior to his November loss to Jim Webb in the 2006 Virginia senatorial race, Allen had traveled a number of times to Iowa — the first state with a presidential caucus — and New Hampshire — the first state with a presidential primary). He had been widely assumed to be preparing a run for president. Allen's presidential aspirations were cut short when he was recorded on video trying to intimidate a reporter using the African racial slurr "macaca". ^[69] On December 10, 2006, Allen gave an interview^[70] in which he stated that he would not seek the 2008 nomination. He endorsed John McCain for President.