The pool of Republican candidates for president is virtually determined. Here are key points about where the competition is at.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Republican Party’s 2024 presidential field is almost decided after three more statements this week.

There are now at least 10 prominent Republican contenders who are formally running for their party’s candidature; a few stragglers may join later. And with the primary campaign’s announcement phase essentially over, many top Republican hopefuls will congregate in North Carolina this weekend to start a more active sorting phase.

Republican delegates from around the nation will assemble in Milwaukee next summer to choose their candidate to challenge President Joe Biden, and it will be a long journey to that convention. There will be surprises. Successes will shift. But as of right now, former President Donald Trump, who is the obvious leader in the crowded race, is what every Republican White House aspirant is after.

Following are some conclusions on where the Republican race stands:

After all, THIS IS A LARGE AREA.

Nearly seven months ago, Trump began his campaign in an attempt to frighten off possible rivals. It was a failure.

There are now nine prominent opponents running against the former president in the current field. They include former vice president Mike Pence, four current or former governors: Ron DeSantis of Florida, Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Chris Christie of New Jersey, and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador; US Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; and conservative talk show host and failed California candidate Larry Elder.

The 2024 field was substantial, but it might have been much greater. There were 17 candidates in the party’s 2016 class, which filled two debating stages.

Several Republicans who had started to get ready to run in 2024 eventually decided against it. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Governors of New Hampshire Chris Sununu and Maryland Larry Hogan, as well as Senators from Texas Ted Cruz and Arkansas Tom Cotton, are among them.

A select group of more prominent Republicans, such as former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, are still debating a candidature.

TRUMP AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE

There is no doubt that Trump will lose this campaign.

Despite his severe legal difficulties, his ongoing falsehoods about the 2020 election that sparked the uprising on January 6, and grave reservations among GOP leaders about his chances of winning the general election, the former president is leading early primary surveys. However, Trump continues to have a firm hold on a sizeable segment of the Republican base that hasn’t yet fallen in love with a rival.

On paper, DeSantis seems to be Trump’s best opponent, but the Florida governor hasn’t yet presented a clear strategy for winning. The governor of Florida is attempting to out-Trump Trump by adopting the aggressive demeanour and attitude of the previous president while taking a harsher stance on immigration, abortion, and other issues that rip at the nation’s divisions.

Trump’s campaign is ecstatic at the sheer number of competitors, which poses a mathematical conundrum in his favour. It seems to be a repeat of the 2016 election, when Trump won the New Hampshire primary with only 35% of the vote due to the other candidates splitting the remaining votes.

Over the last year, Trump’s Republican detractors have warned about this same situation, but they now seem powerless to do anything.

NO CLEAR PLAN TO REMOVE TRUMP

Putting math aside, Trump’s Republican foes still lack a dependable plan of attack. But it doesn’t mean they haven’t made an effort.

This week, Pence claimed to Iowa voters that Trump “demanded I choose between him and the Constitution,” making reference to Trump’s false assertion, which was repeated often, that Pence had the power to void the 2020 election. Pence referred to Trump’s remarks as “reckless” and said that the former president put his family in risk.

DeSantis, like others, has taken several oblique shots at Trump, mostly focusing on his incapacity to serve a second term as president and the GOP’s “culture of losing” under his direction since 2016. The DeSantis campaign believes they have a chance to outflank Trump on conservative issues like immigration and abortion.

When questioned about Trump’s significant lead in the polls this week in Arizona, DeSantis scoffed: “You don’t do a poll a year out and say that’s how the election runs out,” he said.

Christie, who hasn’t held public office in more than five years, may be the most outspoken Trump opponent in the campaign.

Earlier this week, the former governor of New Jersey assured New Hampshire voters, “I’m going out there to take out Donald Trump.” I want to win, and I don’t want him to win, so here’s why. He is in front of the Republican nomination’s only available lane.

This weekend in North Carolina, be prepared to witness new anti-Trump tactics.

A VARIOUS FIELD

In terms of racial diversity, the Republican field in 2024 is on level with the GOP’s 2016 field.

This year, there are at least four candidates of colour running for president: Haley, Ramaswamy, Scott, and Elder are all of Indian heritage. Although all four contestants reject the existence of institutional racism and overwhelmingly oppose government measures intended to aid individuals based on their skin colour, race plays a significant role in Haley and Scott’s appeal to voters.

Republican leaders are optimistic that the diversified field will support the party’s modest gains among Black and Latino voters. Despite the fact that both groups continue to vote Democrats in large numbers, even little rifts in the Democratic alliance may become important by 2024.

Only one woman is running for Republican office. However, there is a significant age gap amongst the contenders; Ramaswamy is the youngest at 37 and Trump is the oldest at 76. While Haley and Scott are in their 50s, DeSantis is just 44 years old. The remaining contenders are all in their 60s and 70s.

TRUE TO POLICY

With rare exceptions, the Republican field has adopted staunchly conservative positions on subjects like LGBTQ rights, abortion, immigration, and gun violence.

Although there are disparities in the intensity of their opposition and their language on the process, all of the contenders are against abortion rights to some level. While Trump and DeSantis have so far refrained from taking a clear stance on a federal ban, Pence and Scott have publicly advocated national abortion restrictions. Despite this, DeSantis this spring put one of the country’s most stringent laws into Florida law: a ban on abortions before six weeks of pregnancy.

Additionally opposed to increased restrictions on gun ownership, including a ban on assault weapons, is the entire Republican field. Most people attribute mental health problems to the country’s pandemic of gun violence. DeSantis passed a new legislation this spring allowing Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

Additionally embracing the party’s new emphasis on the LGBTQ population is the Republican field.

On the campaign trail in recent weeks, Haley made fun of transgender people and mischaracterized them. Gender-affirming medical procedures for children have been condemned by Trump and DeSantis as child abuse. A Senate measure that Scott co-sponsored would reduce funding for elementary or middle schools that alter a student’s pronouns without first getting the student’s parents’ approval.

However, there seems to be considerable contention over Medicare and Social Security.

DeSantis supported a motion in Congress that would have increased the Social Security and Medicare eligibility age to 70. Since becoming the governor of Florida, he seems to have shifted from that viewpoint. But Trump has capitalised on his rival’s previous stance while promising to keep the well-liked programmes.

UNEXPECTATION LOOMS

Although the Republican field may be stabilising, there will almost certainly be some significant shocks in the coming months.

Trump’s legal issues might be the most serious. In connection with hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to disprove claims that he had extramarital affairs, the former president is already charged on 34 felony charges with falsifying company records. Grand juries are now being used by federal prosecutors in Washington and Florida as part of their inquiry into potential classified document management violations. Prosecutors in Georgia are also looking into any legal violations committed by Trump in an effort to recoup his 2020 election defeat.

DeSantis’ evaluation on the national stage has just recently started. Both political opponents are scouring his past for any indication of potentially harmful material. His interpersonal abilities are routinely questioned by Republican colleagues. In unplanned situations on the campaign trail, he is not afraid to engage in conflict with the media.

The impending presidential debates, which are slated to begin in late August, are, in the meanwhile, shrouded in significant doubt. Trump, who now leads in early surveys by a wide margin, has suggested skipping the debates entirely. DeSantis has criticised traditional media outlets that would be involved in presenting the broadcast events. Furthermore, it’s uncertain if lesser-known contenders would be able to pass the comparatively low polling and financing requirements.