WASHINGTON - Actor and former Republican senator Fred Thompson formally launched his bid for the White House on Wednesday, the latest candidate to enter the race ahead of the November 2008 presidential election.
With a Southern drawl and a folksy manner, Thompson, 65, is best known for playing a tough-talking prosecutor on the television show "Law & Order." He has served as a senator for Tennessee and worked for years as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington.
Hoping to capitalize on his name recognition and screen stardom, Thompson enters a crowded Republican field but is already ranked second in most opinion polls behind front-runner Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor.
Thompson has defied conventional wisdom and chosen to enter the race relatively late amid speculation he could find himself at a disadvantage in key states that help choose each party's presidential nominee.
The Democratic and Republican candidates will be chosen in party-based state primary elections and caucus polls starting in January 2008.
Here is a list of Republicans vying for the White House as well as other Republicans considered possible candidates:
REPUBLICANS
- Rudolph Giuliani, 63, a former New York City mayor and Roman Catholic who enjoys strong popularity in opinion polls largely for guiding New York's response to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. His moderate positions on social issues and his personal life including two divorces could prove a liability among Republican voters.
- Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, 60, credited with rescuing the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, from scandal and mismanagement. His Mormon faith is a potential liability for the Republican evangelical Christian base. He won a symbolic straw poll in Iowa in August.
- Mike Huckabee, 52, was governor of Arkansas for 10 years until stepping down in January. He is best known nationally for his personal quest to lose weight. A former Baptist minister, he scored a surprising second-place finish in the Iowa straw poll and conservative pundits have praised his debate performances.
- Arizona Senator John McCain, 71, a Vietnam War hero who lost the 2000 presidential nomination to Bush. He has a reputation for independence and favors Bush's US troop buildup in Iraq. His campaign has been struggling amid low poll ratings and financial troubles.
- Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, 50, is a devout Roman Catholic who enjoys strong support from religious conservatives for his fierce opposition to gay marriage and abortion.
- California Representative Duncan Hunter, 59, is a former chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. He has taken a hard line against illegal immigration and called for strengthening the US military.
- Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo, 61, is also known for his tough anti-immigration stance.
- Ron Paul, 72, a 10-year congressman from Texas, distinguishes himself as an anti-Iraq war, anti-tax libertarian. His debate performances and his outspoken libertarian views have won him an enthusiastic following on the Internet.
Other Republicans reportedly considering a presidential bid include:
- Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, 60, a Vietnam War veteran and harsh critic of the US handling of the war in Iraq.
- Newt Gingrich, 63, a free-market ideologue and supporter of the war in Iraq, frequently clashed with former president Bill Clinton when he served as speaker of the House of Representatives.
09/06/2007 04:46 GMT