2024 GOP Presidential Primary Balloons to 12 Candidates - You'll Recognize the 2 Most Recent Additions

There will soon be 12 candidates vying to lead the 2024 Republican presidential ticket as both Chris Christie and Mike Pence have filed the paperwork to launch their campaigns. 

Christie, a former New Jersey governor, was part of the GOP field in 2016 but dropped out early after a poor showing in New Hampshire. This time around he'll make it official on Tuesday night by launching his campaign from New Hampshire.

And Pence was Donald Trump's vice president from 2017-2021. Pence will reportedly make his announcement Wednesday from Iowa.

"Over the last two years, Karen and I have spent a lot of time reflecting and praying about everything in this country is dealing with and what we might do to serve," Pence said in Iowa over the weekend. 

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While former President Donald Trump still dominates the primary polls, the two newest contenders join a crowded field hoping to defeat him including former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Scott made headlines this week after appearing on ABC's The View to address recent comments from the hosts about his campaign and systemic racism in America.

"I believe people are hungry for something hopeful and optimistic," said Scott. "One of the reasons why I'm on the show is because of the comments that were made, frankly, on this show, that the only way for a young African American kid to be successful in this country is to be the exception and not the rule. That is a dangerous, offensive, disgusting message to send to our young people today," Scott said. 

The two current frontrunners, Trump and DeSantis, are making headlines for sparring with one another.

"We need to dispense with the culture of losing," DeSantis told Iowa voters. "Florida shows it can be done."

On stage, DeSantis tends to avoid invoking Trump's name but criticizes his past policies and his failure to secure the southern border – while Trump hits his once-ally head-on.

As the primary field expands, some Republican leaders are calling on candidates to drop out before voters head to the primary polls if they don't have a shot. 

"There could be 12 people that get in. The key, the discipline is getting out, the discipline is come November, late December, if you're sitting in low, you know, single digits get your butt out of the race now," New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu told CNN. "Let's narrow this down to two or three candidates and really figure out where the party's gonna go. I think when you do that, then the options will really present themselves."

The first GOP primary debate won't be until mid-August, but candidates will have to meet polling and donor thresholds to make it on stage.