The packed field of candidates in the chase for the Republican Party presidential nomination looks to be getting one more contender.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez filed his federal paperwork Wednesday to run for president.
Suarez’s filing with the Federal Election Commission came shortly after backers of the mayor launched SOS America PAC — and a day after GOP presidential nomination front-runner former President Donald Trump was arraigned in Suarez’s city on a 37-count federal indictment.
Florida Politics reports an announcement may come as soon as Thursday during a speech he’s set to deliver at the Reagan Library in California.
The two-term Cuban-American mayor holds a non-partisan position but is tied to the Republican Party. He had served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors up until recently. His father, Xavier Suarez, served as Miami’s mayor in the 1980s and 1990s, although his last victory in 1997 was vacated after a voter fraud probe.
“America needs conservative Mayor Francis Suarez for President,” said SOS America PAC spokesman Chapin Fay in a press release. “As our nation faces anti-police and pro-crime Democrat leadership in cities across the nation like Baltimore, Portland and New York City, the achievements of first-generation American Mayor Suarez underscore the need for immediate nationwide adoption of his approach.”
But Suarez has aligned himself with the climate change warriors and has parted ways with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of the top GOP candidates for president, on some key conservative issues.
Suarez enters a crowded field of Republicans that includes former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Trump, who appeared in federal court in Miami Tuesday on charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents, continues to lead the Republican field by significant numbers in the polls.
Suarez is embarking on a long-shot campaign in a race that includes his governor. He told CBS News last month that he “needs to be better known in this country.”
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Francis Suarez” by Francis Suarez.
