FACTBOX-The Republican candidates running for US president

Trump, who lost in 2020 to Biden, is seeking to become the first person to serve two non-consecutive terms since former President Grover Cleveland won back the White House in 1892. NIKKI HALEY A former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Haley has climbed steadily in the polls since August and is now locked in a tight battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place in the field. A foreign policy hawk, Haley has taken a hardline stance on China, and she supports continued military aid to Ukraine.

Seven Republican candidates are seeking the party's nomination to take on Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection in the November 2024 presidential contest.

With less than two months before the first nominating contest, in Iowa, on Jan. 15, here is a list of the Republican Party's leading candidates: DONALD TRUMP Trump, 77, holds a commanding lead in the race for his party's nomination, despite facing indictments in four separate state and federal criminal cases. He has successfully convinced a large chunk of the Republican electorate that the criminal charges are part of a politically motivated witch hunt to thwart his election, an assertion the Justice Department has denied. Trump has vowed to enact tougher immigration restrictions and harsher curbs on trade with China, and to carry out political reprisals against those he perceives to have wronged him. He has a firm grip on his party's right wing, but may struggle to get moderates and independents to support him in a general election should he win the Republican nomination. A New York Times/Siena opinion poll in November pointed to that possibility, with Biden trailing Trump in five of six battleground states that are expected to determine the outcome in 2024. Trump, who lost in 2020 to Biden, is seeking to become the first person to serve two non-consecutive terms since former President Grover Cleveland won back the White House in 1892.

NIKKI HALEY A former South Carolina governor and Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Haley has climbed steadily in the polls since August and is now locked in a tight battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place in the field.

A foreign policy hawk, Haley has taken a hardline stance on China, and she supports continued military aid to Ukraine. Her support for the eastern European country, and her emphasis on foreign policy on the campaign trail contrasts with DeSantis and Trump, both of whom have embraced isolationist policy positions and have focused on domestic issues. Haley, 51, has also touted her relative youth compared with the septuagenerianTrump and Biden, 81, whose age has come up as a major issue for voters in polls.

Haley was among the first to enter the race, throwing her hat into the ring in February. But she languished in the single digits in polls throughout much of 2023, before a string of well-received debate performances starting in August boosted her standing among voters and donors. She still trails DeSantis in most national polls, but she holds a substantial lead against DeSantis in New Hampshire and South Carolina, crucial states in the Republican nominating contest as they are among the first to select a preferred nominee. Both trail Trump by a significant margin nationally and in almost all states.

RON DESANTIS Florida Governor DeSantis, 45, was once viewed as the most formidable challenger to Trump, but his campaign has been plagued by infighting, staff turnover and shifts in direction. He is banking on a strong performance in Iowa - where his campaign has focused its efforts and DeSantis has pledged to visit every county in the Midwestern state - to keep his candidacy afloat.

DeSantis continues to languish in national opinion polls, about 40 points behind Trump. While his stance in favor of strict limits on abortion has endeared him to some religious conservatives, it has alienated more moderate voters. He has stepped up his attacks on Trump after initially appearing reluctant to take him on, but now spends much of his time trying to fend off Haley from emerging as the party's top Trump alternative.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY A former biotechnology investor and executive, Ramaswamy, 38, started a company in 2022 to pressure firms to abandon environmental, social, and corporate governance initiatives, bringing favorable attention from conservatives. Ramaswamy created considerable political buzz and rose in some opinion polls after combative debate performances in August and September, where he laid out mostly far-right stances on many issues. Yet his poll numbers have faded in recent weeks to a national average of around 5%, suggesting he was a fad in the summer, rather than a serious, long-term contender to challenge Trump.

Ramaswamy is a fervent supporter of the former president, and says that if he won the White House, he would pardon Trump. Some analysts believe Ramaswamy is angling to be Trump's vice presidential running mate, should the former president win the nomination, speculation that Ramaswamy denies. CHRIS CHRISTIE

Christie, 61, advised Trump's White House campaign, but became a vocal critic of the former president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. The former New Jersey governor and federal prosecutor stepped up his verbal attacks as Trump faced a growing number of criminal charges. ASA HUTCHINSON

The former Arkansas governor launched his bid for the White House in April with a call for Trump to step aside to deal with the former president's first indictment. Hutchinson, 72, has touted his experience leading his deeply conservative state as proof he can deliver on policies Republican voters care about, citing tax cuts and job creation initiatives. Still, his name recognition remains limited outside Arkansas. Hutchinson qualified for the first Republican debate, but not the second or third ones.

DOUG BURGUM Burgum, 67, is serving his second four-year term as North Dakota's governor after selling his software business to Microsoft in 2001. A proponent of low taxes and fewer regulations, he has sought to portray himself as a traditional conservative with a focus on the economy and national security, although he is one of the least-known contenders on the national stage. (Compiled by the Washington newsroom; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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