Texan Will Hurd is new GOP presidential primary candidate

The former congressman and retired CIA agent described himself as the "dark horse entering a crowded field" and said that he is not afraid of former President Donald Trump.

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Verónica Silveri Pazos

22 de junio, 2023

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Former Congressman from Texas Will Hurd announced his candidacy for the Republican primaries for the 2024 presidential election. The retired CIA agent is the "highest-profile" Texas candidate to enter the race for the upcoming election, according to several media outlets.

Hurd is not the only Texan in the primary. Ryan Binkley, a Dallas pastor and businessman, announced his candidacy in April.

According to CBS, Hurd described himself as the "dark horse entering a crowded field" with the other Republicans.

In the interview, the former CIA agent expressed being "angry" that officials do not focus on solving the problems that affect society, emphasizing education, and said that "the Republican Party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past":

These are the issues we should be talking about. And to be honest, I'm angry that we're not talking about these things (...) We should be presenting a vision of how we have unprecedented peace, how we have a thriving economy, how we make sure that our children have a world-class education, regardless of their age and location. We can do this.

Enemies that "threaten the American dream"

Hurd defended, in the official video of his nomination, that he is running to be president because "the soul of our country is under attack." The new candidate also warned about the threat posed by "enemies" who "create chaos and threaten the American dream" and referred to the main problems plaguing the nation:

Our enemies conspire, create chaos and threaten the American dream (...) Illegal immigration and fentanyl flood into our country. Inflation still out of control. Crime and homelessness are on the rise in our cities.

The former congressman was very critical of President Joe Biden and has been proven to be a fierce enemy of one of his primary rivals, former President Donald Trump, whom he called a "proven loser," claiming since coming to power in 2016, the GOP has lost majorities in Congress:

Biden can't solve these problems, or he won't. And if we nominate a lawless, self-serving, failed politician like Donald Trump - who lost the House, the Senate and the White House - we all know Joe Biden will win again.

Hurd, who is 45, entered the Republican presidential race asserting that many of his rivals in the race "are afraid of Donald Trump" and claimed that the GOP needs a candidate who will offer growth to the party:

You can't be afraid of Donald Trump. Too many candidates in this race are afraid of Donald Trump, but we also need to articulate a different vision.

Former Congressman and CIA agent

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Hurd is the son of a White mother and Black father. He studied computer science at Texas A&M University and after graduating, in 2000, he went to work for the CIA, where he worked for almost a decade as a covert agent in the area of counterterrorism.

He subsequently served three terms as a congressman in the House of Representatives (2015 to 2021). In his last two years in office, he was the only Black Republican in the lower House.

Since leaving his job as a congressional representative, he has worked in the private sector in finance, investments and cybersecurity.