Will Hurd Joins Republican Presidential Race, Promises to Bring “Common-Sense” to the GOP

Former Texas Congressman and retired CIA officer Will Hurd announced on Thursday that he is joining the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Hurd, 45, is the twelfth Republican to enter the race and is billing himself as a “common-sense Republican” capable of winning over swing voters.

Hurd was first elected to serve Texas’s 23rd Congressional District in 2014, beating a Democratic incumbent by two points. He was reelected by narrow margins twice before joining a wave of congressional Republicans who retired before the 2020 election.

In an interview on “CBS Mornings,” Hurd said that he and his wife decided to enter the race after realizing “we have an opportunity to bring a different perspective to the Republican Party.” He also said that if elected president he would not pardon former President Donald Trump, a question other GOP candidates have largely dodged.

Hurd is a long-shot candidate in a primary field still dominated by Trump. But he is hoping to appeal to voters who have strayed from the Republican Party in recent elections. He believes that his message of a “common-sense Republican” will resonate with these voters and help him stand out from the rest of the field.