May is upon us and brings with it several expected presidential campaign announcements. According to a Washington Post report, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina announced their campaigns today, as expected. Carson hosted an event in Detroit, while Fiorina announced her campaign in an online video and an appearance on Good Morning America. Fiorina will follow up her announcement with a speech on Tuesday at a NYC tech conference and on a book tour to promote her new book which will be released tomorrow. Mike Huckabee is expected to officially announce his presidential bid at an event in Hope, Ark., his hometown.
The same Washington Post report also speculated on announcements that will come soon but do not have firm dates as of yet:
Sometime in the next few weeks:
— Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has been expected to make a presidential announcement sometime next month.
— New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whose likelihood of running has shifted from near-certain to unlikely and back again, most recently said he would announce his decision sometime in late May or early June.
— Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is also expected to announce if he will run sometime in May or June.
June and beyond:
— Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum launched a testing-the-waters account earlier this month, indicating he is leaning toward running. His team has said he will decide by late spring.
— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been aggressively fundraising and traveling in anticipation of a 2016 presidential run, and his White House bid is essentially a sure thing at this point. He will likely launch his campaign after the Wisconsin state legislature’s work period ends in June.
— Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has been a steady presence in early voting states, has said he will make up his mind about running sometime after the Louisiana legislative period ends in June.
— Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s White House run is all-but-certain at this point, given his colossal fundraising operation and his aggressive travel schedule. Still, his announcement may not come until sometime this summer.
Still unclear:
— Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee launched a presidential exploratory committee in early April. His team indicated last month that he will formally become a candidate at some point, but it is unclear when he might hold an official launch.
— Vice President Joe Biden fueled speculation about his 2016 presidential ambitions earlier this year by traveling to three early-voting states. The actual likelihood of a Biden presidential campaign remains unclear, but he will announce his decision sometime this summer.
Joshua Pinho works for American Principles in Action.
