Former vice president Mike Pence has announced his bid for the White House’s top job, taking on his former running mate, Donald Trump. He broke the news in a video posted early Wednesday and addressing a crowd of supporters in Ankeny, Iowa, on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Pence is seeking the Republican nomination and is pitching himself as a social conservative who has pushed for restricted access to abortion and has opposed LGBTQ+ rights.

He has also called on the Justice Department to not prosecute Donald Trump for his handling of classified documents. However, he did not address or clarify how he would excuse Trump if he was to win the election.

At a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, he said he viewed the handling of the private material as “a very serious matter” but also told host Dana Bash that prosecutors should leave Trump alone.

“I think it would be terribly divisive to the country at a time when the American people are hurting. This kind of action by the DoJ would only fuel further division in the country and send a terrible message to the wider world … I hope the DoJ thinks better of it and resolves this in a better way than an indictment,” he continued,” Pence said

But he is not the only person to throw their name into the ring. Here are all the candidates who have put themselves forward so far.

Joe Biden

The incumbent is likely to secure the Democratic Party nomination to run for a second term. He announced his candidacy with the tweet: “Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours.

“That’s why I’m running for re-election as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr

Also seeking the Democratic nomination is the nephew of John F Kennedy, an environmental lawyer who is often labelled an anti-vaccine activist.

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, he was active in the movement, and public health professionals and members of his own family criticised his beliefs.

Marianne Williamson

Self-help author Marianne Williamson has also submitted a statement of candidature to the Federal Election Commission to stand for the Democratic Party.

As well as writing 14 bestselling books, she also founded Project Angel Food. This is a volunteer food delivery programme that supports housebound people with HIV/Aids and life-threatening illnesses, as well as the Peace Alliance, a nonprofit education and advocacy organisation.

Donald Trump

The 2016 winner, Donald Trump, is looking to return to the White House amid various legal battles. However, donations soared to his campaign after he appeared in court to deny wrongdoing over the Stormy Daniels affair.

He said: “The decline of America is being forced upon us by Biden and the radical left… this is not a decline we must accept.”

The former president was also indicted on June 9 on charges of mishandling classified documents after he left the White House.

Mike Pence

The former vice president has spent the past two-and-a-half years distancing himself from Donald Trump as he has laid the groundwork for the campaign.

He is a social conservative and has pushed for restricted access to abortion and has opposed LGBTQ+ rights.

Larry Elder

The radio host was a candidate for governor of California in 2021 and wants to stand for the Republican nomination.

He announced his intentions to run in April on his conservative-leaning show as “a moral, religious and a patriotic duty”.

Ron De Santis

Ron DeSantis launched his campaign for the Republican nomination with a Twitter video alongside Elon Musk.

Mr DeSantis has recently made headlines after clashing with Disney over its plans to build a new corporate campus in Orlando. He comes to the position as a hard-right campaigner with “anti-woke” values and with a record of voting down LGBT, abortion, and gun control policies.

He has previously doubled down on his stance, saying the word ‘woke’ five times in 19 seconds in a previous address.

Nikki Haley

The Republican hopeful is a former US ambassador to the United Nations and was governor of South California from 2011 to 2017.

“I wear heels, but it’s not a fashion statement, it’s because if I see something wrong, I’m gonna kick ’em every single time,” she said in 2017.

Asa Hutchinson

One of the more experienced names in the Republican ranks, the 72-year-old is a former undersecretary of homeland security and administrator of drug enforcement.

He has been a long-time governor of Arkansas.

Vivek Ramaswamy

The writer and businessman, 37, has staunchly conservative views in line with the Republican Party but has not held political office before.

His books have attacked the “woke” ideology in America. He has also attacked the notion of “victimhood as a pathway to success”.

Kanye West

The rapper is facing a backlash over his behaviour, has been dropped by his business partners after being accused of expressing antisemitic views, and riled the black community after endorsing fashion labelled “white lives matter”.

He has claimed a presidential run was a message from God and has previously said Mr Trump would be his running mate – although the pair now seem to be on less amicable terms. In the 2020 vote, West garnered 60,000 votes.

Afroman

Another musician, Afroman is best known in the UK for his 2000 hit Because I Got High and police recently raided his house in the US.

Joseph Foreman, his real name, is focused on cutting inflation, the housing market, law enforcement corruption and legalising cannabis.

Not announced

The actor and former wrestler Dwayne Johnson has ruled himself out of the running despite rumours he might launch a campaign.