Will Hurd, ex-Texas GOP Rep., declares presidential bid.

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), a moderate and fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, has made an exciting announcement – he is running for the GOP presidential nomination!

In a captivating video titled “Common Sense in Complicated Times,” the Republican bashed liberals, President Joe Biden, and argued that choosing Trump again would hurt the GOP’s chances of beating Biden in 2024.

“President Biden can’t solve these problems — or won’t,” Hurd said. “And if we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump — who lost the House, the Senate and the White House — we all know Joe Biden will win again.”

Hurd, 45, represented Texas’ massive 23rd Congressional District, which includes hundreds of miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, the most of any congressional district. Hurd’s announcement focused on illegal immigration, calling out the Biden administration’s border policies. The majority-Latino district often split its vote among the two major parties, electing Hurd as a congressional representative while voting for Democrats in presidential, senatorial, and gubernatorial elections. 

Hurd has broken with Trump on immigration, characterizing Trump’s wall as the “most expensive and least effective way” to secure the border. He called a potential rematch between the 45th and 46th presidents a “rematch from hell.”

Hurd touted his “twenty years” of being “on the front lines of the most pressing fights facing the nation,” including “hunt[ing] down terrorists in the Middle East” as a CIA officer before running for Congress. He also touted his congressional record of fighting to “lower taxes, secure our border, and provide more opportunities for the middle class.”

Hurd reportedly makes “future” issues a central component of his campaign. In a CBS interview, he said he was “pissed” at politicians for focusing on the issues of the past rather than future-oriented concerns such as artificial intelligence and China. 

The moderate’s website says Hurd wants to inspire “new family values,” adding that leaders shouldn’t “be a jerk, racist, misogynist, or homophobe.” As a congressman, Hurd sometimes sided with Democrats on gun-related issues, LGBTQ rights, and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

The longshot candidate’s website also highlights traditionally Republican stances on the economy, immigration, school choice, and foreign policy.

Hurd entering the race adds another option to an already-crowded GOP primary. Former President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lead in the polls, with every other candidate trailing them significantly. Hurd acknowledged his longshot candidacy to CBS, calling himself a “dark-horse candidate.”

Some are concerned that the crowded primary could split the anti-Trump vote and propel the former president to the nomination, while others say the crowded primary might not have a significant impact because it is still early in the election cycle.

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