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Former CIA agent, GOP Rep. Will Hurd running for president

"I believe the Republican party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past," Hurd said.
Former CIA agent, GOP Rep. Will Hurd running for president
Posted at 6:02 AM, Jun 22, 2023
and last updated 2023-06-22 09:21:47-04

Another Republican has joined a growing cast of candidates vying for the party's 2024 presidential nomination. 

Former Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, announced Thursday he is joining the field, going against the likes of former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and many others. Hurd made the announcement on "CBS This Morning."

"I believe the Republican party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past," Hurd told CBS. "We should be putting out a vision of how do we have unprecedented peace, how do we have a thriving economy, how do we make sure our kids have a world-class education, regardless of their age and location? We can do this. It's hard. But here's one thing I've learned: If we remember two things, we can pull this off. America is better together. Way more unites us than divides us."

Given the size of the field, Hurd's candidacy is seen as a long shot. Unlike most other Republican candidates, Hurd has challenged Trump for having classified documents at his residence in Florida. 

"The documents that Donald Trump had are not Republican secrets or Democrat secrets. They are American secrets. They're secret because lives are at stake — American lives abroad and at home," Hurd said earlier this month. 

SEE MORE: Who's in the race for the White House? Meet the 2024 candidates

Hurd would likely know a thing or two about classified documents, as he was an agent with the CIA prior to public office.

Most recent polling from Emerson shows Trump leading the field with 59%, with DeSantis pulling in 21%. Former Vice President Mike Pence stood at 6%, with no other candidate polling above 5%. 

Hurd served three terms in Congress, winning a highly competitive Texas district. He opted not to run for reelection in 2020. 


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