Four former officials of President Ronald Reagan’s administration endorsed former Vice President Mike Pence for 2024 in a letter ahead of the second GOP primary debate, Politico reported Tuesday.
Pence will take the debate stage Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, along with six other Republican hopefuls. T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr, Edwin J. Feulner, Jr, Donald Paul Hodel and Helene von Damm are the former officials who argued that Pence is “the candidate best equipped to uphold the Reagan legacy,” and encouraged other Republicans to support him, according to the letter. (RELATED: Mike Pence Says He’s Known As A ‘Loyal Vice President’)
“As we approach the critical 2024 election, we believe it is our opportunity and pleasure to endorse a candidate who embodies the spirit and principles of Ronald Reagan. That candidate is Mike Pence, and we wholeheartedly endorse him for President of the United States,” the letter reads. “As former Reagan administration officials, we have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of principled leadership that adheres to conservative values. Mike Pence embodies these values and has the vision and experience necessary to lead our party and our nation with honor, integrity, and a deep commitment to classical conservative principles that define the Reagan legacy.”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 15: Republican presidential candidate, former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to reporters after his remarks at the Pray Vote Stand Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Cribb served as the assistant to the president for domestic affairs and as counselor to the attorney general. Feulner, the founder of The Heritage Foundation, was the chairman of the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Hodel served as the secretary of the Interior and secretary of Energy. Damm was the assistant to the president for presidential personnel, as well as ambassador to Austria.
“Mike has consistently demonstrated a commitment to conservative principles throughout his career,” the letter reads. “From his time as a congressman to Governor of Indiana to his tenure as Vice President, he has championed limited government, lower taxes, individual freedom, strong defense, and the right to life. Like President Reagan, Pence understands that the strength of our nation lies in the hearts of the American people, not the hands of an overreaching government.”
The RealClearPolitics average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between Sept. 7 and Sept. 21, indicates Pence has 4.2% support, behind former President Donald Trump at 57.3%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 13.5%, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 6.8% and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 5.3%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott are tied with 2.5%, with all other GOP hopefuls garnering less than 1% support.
Along with Pence, DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy, Christie, Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will participate in the second debate after exceeding the Republican National Committee’s (RNC’s) upped requirements. Trump is skipping the second debate, as he did the first in late August, and will instead hold an event with members of the United Auto Workers, who announced a strike on Sept. 14, in Detroit, Michigan.
“Karen and I are humbled by the generous endorsement from these distinguished leaders in President Reagan’s administration, and we’re tremendously grateful for their support,” Pence said in a statement. “Today as the Republican party stands at a crossroads over whether we will continue to be the party of conservatism or follow the siren song of populism, we can learn much from the experiences of these great patriots who served on the frontlines with Ronald Reagan.”
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