Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) announced Thursday that he is running for president, saying in his campaign announcement that the "soul of our country is under attack."
The big picture: Hurd, 45, a former undercover CIA operative, joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Driving the news: "Our enemies plot, create chaos, and threaten the American Dream," said Hurd, who served three terms in the House, in his campaign announcement on CBS.
- Inflation, crime and homelessness are among the threats facing America, he said.
- "President Biden can't solve these problems—or won't," Hurd said.
- "And if we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump—who lost the House, the Senate, and the White House — we all know Joe Biden will win again," he continued.
Zoom out: First elected to Texas' Congressional District in 2014, Hurd is a moderate Republican and outspoken critic of Trump.
- In Congress, he supported repealing the Affordable Care Act and supported universal background checks for gun checks.
- Casting himself as a "common-sense Republican," Hurd in May told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that a potential rematch between Biden and Trump would be "the rematch from hell."
Go deeper... Rep. Will Hurd to Gen Z: "Go out and have a career before you get into politics"
