US Republican presidential race: Who are the Republican candidates for US President? Why did Donald Trump skip the debate?

The Republican party must now decide on a candidate to face Joe Biden in 2024

The 2024 US election race had begun with at least a dozen Republicans, including former president Donald Trump launching their campaigns.

These include a candidate who believes 9/11 was an inside job, more than one who oppose abortion, and of course Mr Trump, who is facing an array of criminal charges.

He, along with others, skipped the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, but remains the clear favourite. But who are the main candidates hoping to replace incumbent US president Joe Biden, and what do they believe?

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former vice-president Mike Pence look toward former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel. Picture: AP Photo/Morry Gash

Ron DeSantis

Once considered the favourite, the governor of Florida has dropped off in popularity following a series of gaffes and clashes with Mr Trump.

A Covid sceptic with far-right leanings, Mr DeSantis warned against taking the vaccine, and opened up schools and businesses before the Delta variant sent deaths soaring. He now claims his response worked and was about standing up to big pharmaceuticals.

He has also gained attention for two lawsuits with Disney, and created a Walt Disney World governing district to abolish all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs after the Disney chief executive criticised a Bill that banned teachers discussing sexual orientation through eighth grade.

Former US president Donald Trump has refused to take part in the debates.

Mike Pence

Mr Trump’s former vice-president and running mate, Mr Pence enraged his old boss after refusing to endorse the narrative of a stolen election.

An evangelic Christian who refuses to eat a meal alone with any woman that isn't his wife, he supports a federal ban on abortions and has previously claimed homosexuality was "learned behaviour".

Now a critic of Mr Trump’s candidacy, he also sparked Republican ire by defending support for Ukraine.

Nikki Haley

A former South Carolina governor, Ms Haley was a close ally of the former president, who appointed her the US ambassador to the United Nations.

She has made foreign policy the cornerstone of her campaign, defending support for Ukraine and questioning her rivals lack of experience. A defender of Mr Pence’s refusal to overrule the election, she resigned from Mr Trump’s administration after the January 6 riots.

Tim Scott

A South Carolina senator, Mr Scott is the only black Republican in the race, and portrays himself as a moderate.

The 57-year-old has previously claimed American children were being “indoctrinated” regarding LGBTQ+ issues, and called for the Ten Commandments to be hung in gold outside the chamber in Charleston.

He has previously introduced a police accountability Bill to reduce funding for states that failed “to report certain data on deadly shootings by law enforcement officers", and revealed police frequently fail to recognise him on Capitol Hill.

Chris Christie

A former New Jersey governor, Mr Christie was previously a US attorney and a Trump ally. Now he is the most outspoken critic of the former president, saying Mr Trump’s conduct is beneath the presidency. He made similar comments while running in 2016, then endorsed Mr Trump.

As Governor, he previously vowed to veto any bill legalising same-sex marriage in New Jersey. Defending US support for Ukraine and attacking Mr Trump saw him booed at the first debate.

Vivek Ramaswamy

A billionaire who has never run for office, Mr Ramaswamy was a clear target for other candidates during the first debate, and uses the same rhetoric as Mr Trump.

Declaring himself the “skinny guy with a funny last name", he is a favourite of the far-right and built a career as a hedge fund investor, before starting his own biotech company. He has raised questions over what happened at 9/11, declared climate change a hoax, and called for an end to support for Ukraine.

Donald Trump

The former US president refused to attend the first debate, explaining he was so far ahead it wasn’t worth it.

Facing four separate sets of criminal charges over accusations that he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr Trump has claimed he would still "love" to run against "crooked Joe Biden".

Explaining his decision not to take part in Wednesday's debate, he said: "I'm leading by 50, 60 points, and some of them are at one and zero. Do I sit there for an hour, two hours, whatever it's going to be, and get harassed by people that shouldn't even be running for president?"