2016 Republican Party presidential candidates explained

Election Name:	Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016
Country:	United States
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	yes
Previous Election:	Republican Party presidential candidates, 2012
Previous Year:	2012
Next Election:	Republican Party presidential candidates, 2020
Next Year:	2020
Election Date:	November 8, 2016
Candidate1:	Donald Trump
Color1:	283681
Home State1:	New York
States Carried1:	41
Popular Vote1:	14,015,993
Percentage1:	44.9%
Delegate Count1:	1,441
Candidate2:	Ted Cruz
Color2:	D4AA00
Home State2:	Texas
States Carried2:	11
Popular Vote2:	7,822,100
Percentage2:	25.1%
Delegate Count2:	551

This article contains the list of candidates associated with the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries for the 2016 United States presidential election.

Candidates

Individuals included in this section have their own Wikipedia page and either formally announced their candidacy or filed as a candidate with Federal Election Commission (FEC) (for other than exploratory purposes).

Withdrew during the primaries

The following individuals participated in at least two presidential debates. They withdrew or suspended their campaigns at some point after the Iowa caucuses on February 1, 2016. They are listed in order of exit, starting with the most recent.

Name	Born	Current/recent	State	Announced	Withdrew	Candidacy	Endorsed	Ref
John Kasich	(age) McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania	Governor of Ohio (2011–2019)		July 21, 2015	May 4, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	No endorsement (wrote in John McCain)	^[4] ^[5]
data-sort-value="Cruz"	Ted Cruz	(age) Calgary, Alberta, Canada	United States Senator from Texas (2013–present)		March 23, 2015	May 3, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[6] ^[7]
data-sort-value="Rubio"	Marco Rubio	(age) Miami, Florida	United States Senator from Florida (2011–present)		April 13, 2015	March 15, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[8] ^[9]
data-sort-value="Carson"	Ben Carson	(age) Detroit, Michigan	data-sort-value="X-Director"	Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital (1984–2013)		May 4, 2015	March 2, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[10] ^[11]
data-sort-value="Bush"	Jeb Bush	(age) Midland, Texas	43rd Governor of Florida (1999–2007)		June 15, 2015	February 20, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Ted Cruz, then no endorsement	^[12] ^[13]
data-sort-value="Gilmore"	Jim Gilmore	(age) Richmond, Virginia	68th Governor of Virginia (1998–2002)		July 30, 2015	February 12, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[14] ^[15]
data-sort-value="Christie"	Chris Christie	(age) Newark, New Jersey	Governor of New Jersey (2010–2018)		June 30, 2015	February 10, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[16] ^[17]
data-sort-value="Fiorina"	Carly Fiorina	(age) Austin, Texas	data-sort-value="X-CEO"	CEO of Hewlett-Packard (1999–2005)		May 4, 2015	February 10, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Ted Cruz, then Donald Trump, later rescinded endorsement	^[18] ^[19]
data-sort-value="Santorum"	Rick Santorum	(age) Winchester, Virginia	United States Senator from Pennsylvania (1995–2007)		May 27, 2015	February 3, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Marco Rubio, then Donald Trump	^[20] ^[21]
data-sort-value="Paul"	Rand Paul	(age) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	United States Senator from Kentucky (2011–present)		April 7, 2015	February 3, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[22] ^[23]
data-sort-value="Huckabee"	Mike Huckabee	(age) Hope, Arkansas	Governor of Arkansas (1996–2007)		May 5, 2015	February 1, 2016	(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Donald Trump	^[24] ^[25]

Withdrew before the primaries

The following individuals participated in at least one authorized presidential debate but withdrew from the race before the Iowa caucuses on February 1, 2016. They are listed in order of exit, starting with the most recent.

Name	Born	Current/recent	State	Announced	Withdrew	Candidacy	Endorsed	Ref
data-sort-value="Pataki"	George Pataki	(age) Peekskill, New York	53rd Governor of New York (1995–2006)				(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Marco Rubio, then John Kasich, then no endorsement	^[26] ^[27]
data-sort-value="Graham"	Lindsey Graham	(age) Central, South Carolina	United States Senator from South Carolina   (2003–present)				(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Jeb Bush, then Ted Cruz, then Evan McMullin	^[28] ^[29]
data-sort-value="Jindal"	Bobby Jindal	(age) Baton Rouge, Louisiana	55th Governor of Louisiana (2008–2016)				(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC filing	Marco Rubio, then Donald Trump	^[30] ^[31]
data-sort-value="Walker"	Scott Walker	(age) Colorado Springs, Colorado	Governor of Wisconsin (2011–2019)				(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC Filing	Ted Cruz, then Donald Trump	^[32] ^[33]
data-sort-value="Perry"	Rick Perry	(age) Haskell, Texas	Governor of Texas (2000–2015)				(Campaign • Positions • Website) FEC Filing	Ted Cruz, then Donald Trump	^[34] ^[35]

Other candidates

The following notable individuals filed as candidates with FEC by November 2015.

Name	Born	Current/previous positions	State	Announced	Candidacy	Ballot status	Ref
data-sort-value="Fellure"	Jack Fellure	(age) Midkiff, West Virginia	Perennial candidate Prohibition Party nominee in 2012		November 7, 2012	FEC Filing	none
data-sort-value="Martin"	Andy Martin	(age) Middletown, Connecticut	Perennial candidate Birther activist vexatious litigant.^[36]		August 16, 2015	(Website) FEC Filing	169 votes NH	^[37]

Additionally, Peter Messina was on the ballot in Louisiana,^[38] New Hampshire, and Idaho.^[39] Tim Cook was on the ballot in Louisiana, New Hampshire and Arizona. Walter Iwachiw was on the ballot in Florida and New Hampshire.

Other withdrawn candidates

Individuals in this section formally announced a bid for the nomination of the Republican Party, and filed with the FEC to be a candidate, but were not featured in any major opinion polls, and were not invited to any televised presidential primary debates.

Name	Born	Current/previous positions	State	Announced	Withdrew	Candidacy	Ref
data-sort-value="Lynch"	Dennis Michael Lynch	(age)	Businessman Documentary film maker Conservative commentator		^[40]	^[41]	FEC filing
data-sort-value="Everson"	Mark Everson	(age) New York City, New York	Commissioner of Internal Revenue (2003–2007)			^[42]	(Website) FEC Filing	^[43] ^[44]
data-sort-value="McMillan"	Jimmy McMillan	(age) New Smyrna Beach, Florida	Chairman and leader of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party(2005–2015)		August 22, 2015	^[45]	(Website) FEC Filing

Potential candidates who did not run

Previous

The following people were the focus of presidential speculation in multiple media reports during the 2016 election cycle but did not enter the race.

Declined

Individuals listed in this section were the focus of media speculation as being possible 2016 presidential candidates but publicly, and unequivocally, ruled out presidential bids in 2016.

See also

• 2016 United States presidential election timeline

Candidates

• Democratic Party presidential candidates, 2016
• United States third party and independent presidential candidates, 2016

Primaries

• Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
• Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016

General election polling

• Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016
• Statewide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016

Democratic primary polling

• Statewide opinion polling for the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016
• Nationwide opinion polling for the Democratic Party 2016 presidential primaries

Republican primary polling

• Statewide opinion polling for the Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016
• Nationwide opinion polling for the Republican Party 2016 presidential primaries

Republican primary debates

• Republican Party presidential debates, 2016

Democratic primary debates

• Democratic Party presidential debates, 2016

External links

• 2016 Presidential Form 2 Filers at the Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Donald Trump is the 45th president of the United States. Business Insider . June 16, 2015 . June 16, 2015 .
2. News: Donald Trump announces presidential bid . Washington Post . June 16, 2015 . June 16, 2015 .
3. Web site: Donald Trump FEC filing . FEC.gov . June 22, 2015 . June 24, 2015 .
4. News: John Kasich Enters Crowded 2016 Race Facing Job of Catch-Up . . July 21, 2015 . July 21, 2015 . Stolberg, Sheryl Gay.
5. News: John Kasich Withdraws from Race. 4 May 2016. The Guardian. 4 May 2016.
6. Web site: Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz Launches Presidential Bid. . March 22, 2015 . March 23, 2015 . Mascaro, Lisa . David Lauter . amp .
7. News: Ted Cruz drops out of the Republican presidential race. May 3, 2016. May 3, 2016. Sean. Sullivan. Katie. Zezima. The Washington Post.
8. News: Marco Rubio Announces 2016 Presidential Bid . The New York Times . April 13, 2015 . April 13, 2015 . Parker, Ashley.
9. News: Rubio bows out of White House race. April 13, 2016. March 15, 2016. Jonathan. Easley. The Hill.
10. News: Terris. Ben. Ben Carson announces presidential campaign. The Washington Post. May 3, 2015. May 4, 2015.
11. Web site: Ben Carson Announces End Of 2016 Run . . March 2, 2016 . March 4, 2016 . Rafferty, Andrew.
12. Web site: Jeb Bush Makes 2016 Run Official . . June 15, 2015 . June 15, 2015 . Rafferty, Andrew.
13. News: Jeb Bush Suspends Presidential Campaign. February 20, 2016. February 20, 2016. Parker, Ashley. The New York Times.
14. Web site: Jim Gilmore formally joins GOP presidential race . . July 30, 2015 . July 30, 2015 . Allen, Cooper.
15. Web site: Jim Gilmore ends campaign for president . . February 12, 2016 . February 12, 2016 . Chaitin, Daniel . https://web.archive.org/web/20160213080401/http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2583169/ . February 13, 2016 . dead .
16. News: Chris Christie Announces Run, Pledging 'Truth' About Nation's Woes. The New York Times . June 30, 2015 . June 30, 2015 . Barbaro, Michael.
17. News: Chris Christie drops out of GOP presidential race . USAToday.com . February 10, 2016 . February 10, 2016 . Jackson, David.
18. Web site: Carly Fiorina: 'Yes, I am running for president' . . May 4, 2015 . May 4, 2015 . Gass, Nick.
19. News: Fiorina ends presidential campaign. February 10, 2016. February 10, 2016. Ben, Kamisar. The Hill.
20. Web site: Santorum officially begins 2016 presidential campaign . USA Today . May 27, 2015 . May 28, 2015 . Jackson, David.
21. Web site: Rick Santorum dropping presidential bid. Tumulty. Karen. February 3, 2016. The Washington Post.
22. News: Rand Paul: 'I am running for president' . CNN . April 7, 2015 . 7 April 2015 . Killough, Ashley.
23. News: Rand Paul Is Suspending His Presidential Campaign . Huffington Post . February 3, 2016. 3 February 2016 . Reilly, Mollie.
24. News: Mike Huckabee Joins Republican Presidential Race . The New York Times . May 5, 2015 . May 5, 2015 . Trip, Gabriel.
25. Web site: Mike Huckabee ends 2016 presidential bid. Tumulty. Karen. February 1, 2016. The Washington Post.
26. Web site: George Pataki announces presidential campaign . The Washington Post . May 28, 2015 . May 28, 2015 . Fahrenthold, David A..
27. Web site: George Pataki Drops Out of 2016 Presidential Race. Abramson, Alana . Mielke, Brad . December 29, 2015. ABC News. December 29, 2015.
28. Jaffe, Alexandra (June 1, 2015) "Graham bets on foreign experience in White House bid announcement", CNN. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
29. Web site: Lindsey Graham Drops Out of 2016 Republican Presidential Race. ABC News. December 21, 2015. February 13, 2016. Ryan. Struyk.
30. News: Bobby Jindal announces entry into 2016 presidential race. June 24, 2015. Fahrenthold, David . Hohmann, James . December 27, 2015. The Washington Post.
31. Web site: Republican Bobby Jindal Drops Out of Presidential Race . . November 17, 2015 . November 17, 2015 . Struyk, Ryan.
32. News: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker officially enters 2016 presidential race . CNN.com . July 13, 2015 . 13 July 2015 . Burlij, Terence . Lee, MJ . LoBianco, Tom .
33. News: Republican Walker exits 2016 presidential race . Reuters . September 21, 2015 . September 22, 2015 . Holland, Steve . Stephenson, Emily .
34. News: Rick Perry Announces Presidential Bid . . June 4, 2015 . June 4, 2015 . Beckwith, Ryan Teague . Rhodan, Maya .
35. News: Rick Perry drops out of 2016 race . USA Today . September 12, 2015 . September 11, 2015 . Heidi Przybyla . Fredreka Schouten . amp .
36. News: Chase, John . Rick Pearson . amp . Perennial candidate back for another race. . Chicago Tribune . February 10, 2006 . June 14, 2011 .
37. Web site: 'Birther King' announces 2016 campaign for U.S. president. August 16, 2015. Wikinews.
38. Web site: Candidate Inquiry.
39. Web site: 10 Repubs, 1 Constitution Candidate File for Idaho Presidential Primary. Twin Falls Times-News.
40. Web site: Dennis M. Lynch FEC Filing. April 22, 2015. FEC. April 23, 2015.
41. Web site: DML 2016. YouTube. May 3, 2015. May 3, 2015.
42. Web site: Bumb. Philip. The Republican field's 16th candidate is ending his longest-shot campaign. The Washington Post. 6 November 2015. 5 November 2015.
43. Web site: Mark Everson, former Reagan & Bush aide, launches GOP White House bid on pro-amnesty platform. . March 5, 2015 . Dinan, Stephen.
44. Larson, Leslie (March 5, 2015) "Long shot 2016 candidate launches campaign with emotional 16-page letter", Business Insider. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
45. Web site: Jimmy McMillan, Rent Is Too Damn High Candidate, Is Retiring From Politics . The New York Times . December 9, 2015 . December 10, 2015 . Burns, Alexander.