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Republican Presidential Candidates to Emerge Soon — Here’s Our Top Ten List

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Insights and Market Perspectives

Republican Presidential Candidates to Emerge Soon — Here’s Our Top Ten List

Author: Greg Valliere

February 10, 2023

JOE BIDEN IS IN NO RUSH to announce his candidacy for re-election, but Republicans are starting to scramble. The long, long presidential campaign is beginning.

DONALD TRUMP IS OFF TO A SLOW START: His fundraising has been tepid and his crowds have been modest — and several challengers are gearing up, starting with Nikki Haley, who is expected to announce next week. Here’s our handicapping:

10 — The field: Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Brian Kemp of Georgia, foreign policy hawk John Bolton, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Rep. Liz Cheney. None have a chance.

9 — Larry Hogan: A hugely popular Republican ex-governor in liberal Maryland, Hogan is a darkhorse. He’s somewhat similar to the late John McCain — a tough talking anti-politician, conservative and pragmatic. And loved by the press.

8 — Mike Pence: He has support among Christian conservatives, but Pence’s poll numbers are terrible. The party’s pro-Trump base will never support him.

7 — Tim Scott: One of the party’s leading fundraisers, Scott could last well into the primaries. The affable African-American Senator, very popular in conservative South Carolina, could get name recognition for 2028.

6 — Chris Sununu: The New Hampshire governor is clearly running and has moved up on our list. An outspoken guest on the Sunday talk shows, Sununu isn’t shy about criticizing Trump, which makes his nomination unlikely.

5 — Mike Pompeo: A fierce foreign policy hawk, Pompeo is well-liked within the party. The former Secretary of State has the funding to last well into the primary season, and could be a vice presidential favorite.

4 — Nikki Haley: She’s sharp, quick, funny and relatively moderate. Trump has criticized Haley for being ambitious, but that’s hardly a flaw in politics. A perfect vice presidential nominee — at the very least.

3 — Glenn Youngkin: Who? The Virginia governor isn’t well known, but within the party Youngkin is viewed as the dark horse to watch. He’s just as conservative as Ron DeSantis on cultural issues, but has a more likable personality than the Florida governor. Plus, Youngkin is worth about $500 million, which helps.

2 — Donald Trump: You underestimate the former president at your own peril, but the party’s top fundraisers have abandoned Trump and his legal problems will only increase in coming months. And Trump has fierce GOP detractors, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will never forgive him for endorsing weak candidates who lost elections last fall.

1 — Ron DeSantis: He’s been the candidate to watch for the past several months, and he’s still the frontrunner. What are his flaws? He lacks warmth, detractors say, he doesn’t get along with the press, and is too conservative on social issues. Actually, those could be attributes.

LOOK FOR DeSANTIS to announce after the Florida legislature adjourns in late spring. He’s only 44 years old, a plus as the country looks for fresh leaders. He’s a graduate of Yale and the Harvard Law School and is a Navy veteran. DeSantis is the GOP favorite, poised to give Biden a very competitive race.


The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds or investment strategies.

The views expressed in this blog are provided as a general source of information based on information available as of the date of publication and should not be considered as personal investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy and/or sell securities. Speculation or stated believes about future events, such as market or economic conditions, company or security performance, or other projections represent the beliefs of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds or investment strategies. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in these commentaries at the time of publication; however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and AGF accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. Any financial projections are based on the opinions of the author and should not be considered as a forecast. The forward looking statements and opinions may be affected by changing economic circumstances and are subject to a number of uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward looking statements. The information contained in this commentary is designed to provide you with general information related to the political and economic environment in the United States. It is not intended to be comprehensive investment advice applicable to the circumstances of the individual.

AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). AGFA and AGFUS are registered advisors in the U.S. AGFI is a registered as a portfolio manager across Canadian securities commissions. AGFIA is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The subsidiaries that form AGF Investments manage a variety of mandates comprised of equity, fixed income and balanced assets.

About AGF Management Limited

Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternative and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF’s suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations.

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©2023 AGF Management Limited. All rights reserved.

Written by

Greg Valliere

Greg Valliere

Chief U.S. Policy Strategist

AGF Investments

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