Republican Candidates 2011-12

1. Republican Candidates 2011-12 April - October

3. Texas Gov. Rick Perry

4. Former MA Gov. Mitt Romney

5. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

6. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

7. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

8. Former PA Sen. Rick Santorum

9. Herman Cain, CEO

10. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas

11. MN Rep. Michele Bachmann

12. Utah governor Jon Huntsman

13. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

14. MI Rep. Thaddeus McCotter

15. The Candidates • Michele BachmannBachmann is a three-term congresswoman and founder of the House Tea Party Caucus. She is a former attorney known for fiery attacks on President Obama and her formidable fundraising • Herman CainCain is the former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He lost the Georgia Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004. He was recently the host of Atlanta-based radio show • Newt GingrichGingrich served nearly four years as Speaker of the House after leading the 1994 Republican Revolution. He was first elected to Congress in 1978 and served through 1998. He has authored more than a dozen books • Jon HuntsmanHuntsman is a former U.S. ambassador to China and a former two-term governor of Utah. His father is billionaire businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. • Ron PaulPaul is serving his 11th full term in the U.S. House. He’s an obstetrician-gynecologist and was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008

16. The Candidates • Gary JohnsonJohnson served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2002. He founded what would become one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico. He has competed in several triathlons and climbed Mount Everest • Tim Pawlenty • Mitt RomneyRomney is the former governor of Massachusetts. He was the head of a private equity firm and is credited with rescuing the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 • Rick SantorumSantorum served two terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the U.S. Senate. He became the Senate's third-ranking Republican in 2001. He was defeated for reelection in 2006 • Rick PerryJames Richard 'Rick' Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas

17. Other Non-candidates • Mitch Daniels Current Governor of Indiana • Mike Huckabee Former Governor of Arkansas • Donald Trump Businessman • Chris Christie Current Governor of New Jersey

18. Former New Mexico gov. joins the GOP presidential pack of contenders (April 21, 2011)

19. Ron Paul enters 2012 presidential race (May 13, 2011)

21. Huckabee says he won't run for president (May 14, 2011)

22. Ind. GOP Gov. Daniels not running (May 22, 2011)

23. Gallup Poll: Romney, Palin lead GOP presidential field (May 26, 2011)

24. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has not said whether she'll seek the GOP presidential nomination.

25. Donald Trump will sit out 2012 race "Business is my greatest passion.”

26. Former Gov. Rick Santorum forms presidential exploratory committee (May 3, 2011)

27. `The 2012 United States Republican Party presidential debates are a series of political debates being held, prior to the 2012 Republican primaries, among candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in the national election of 2012.

28. The first debate occurred on May 5, 2011 in Greenville, South Carolina

29. Five Republican presidential hopefuls participate in the first debate of the 2012 race in South Carolina, tackling issues from the global terrorist threat to domestic concerns: • former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty • Former PA Sen. Rick Santorum • Texas Rep. Ron Paul • former NM Gov. Gary Johnson • businessman Herman Cain

36. GOP debate overshadowed by bin Laden killing, lack of top candidates

37. Cain officially announces presidential bid (May 21, 2011) "Right here, this day, this hour and this moment, I have looked inside of me. I came here to declare my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States of America.”

38. Pawlenty launches 2012 campaign(May 24, 2011) • Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty officially announced his candidacy for president Monday in Iowa, kicking off his "truth" campaign: • "In my campaign, I'm going to take a different approach. I am going to tell you the truth. The truth is Washington D.C.'s broken.” • "It's time for new leadership. It's time for a new approach. And, it's time for America's president - and anyone who wants to be president - to look you in the eye and tell you the truth."

39. SANTORUM TO RUN IN 2012(June 6, 2011) • Rick Santorum will make it official Monday. The former senator from Pennsylvania will formally announce his candidacy for president in Somerset County, near where his grandfather worked in a coal mine after coming to America from Italy. • The former two-term senator lost his 2006 re-election bid by 18 points to Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and until last year was largely out of public view …except for appearances on Fox News.

40. Gallup Poll, early June With Palin in the field, the candidates rank as follows: • Former MS Gov. Mitt Romney 24 percent • former AK Gov. Sarah Palin 16 • Herman Cain 9 • TX Rep. Ron Paul 7 • former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty 6 • former PA Sen. Rick Santorum 6 • Rep. Michele Bachmann 5 • former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 5 • former NM Gov. Gary Johnson 2 • former UT Gov. Jon Huntsman 1 • TX Gov. Rick Perry 1 (vol.)

41. Debate #2: Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, New HampshireJune 13, 2011

42. Michele Bachmann announces presidential runMichele Bachmann announced her intentions to run for president during the Republican debate in New Hampshire, Monday.

44. Washington Times: Ron Paul wins New Hampshire GOP debate

45. Assessing Debate #2Washington Post WINNERS • Michele Bachmann: For viewers who had never heard of the Minnesota Congresswoman before tonight, she put on quite a show. For the first 45 minutes of the debate, Bachmann dominated the stage with quotable lines galore. What Bachmann proved tonight? She’s ready for primetime. • Mitt Romney: Romney came into the debate as the frontrunner in New Hampshire and nationally and he did nothing in the 120 minutes on stage at Saint Anselm College to change that. Romney was serious and well informed — in a word: presidential. His debate experience from 2008 clearly paid off. LOSERS • Tim Pawlenty: Pawlenty came into the debate with perhaps the biggest challenge: to prove that the insider buzz he has been generating of late could be translated to a public forum. He had moments where he shined — his answer on the separation of church and state was outstanding — but by and large he came across as a bit over-programmed. • Herman Cain: After winning the first debate of the year in South Carolina, expectations were high for the Georgia businessman. But Cain’s answer on whether he would have a Muslim in his Cabinet was confusing at best and offensive at worst and will be, without question, the memorable moment of the debate for him.

46. Ron Paul wins RLC straw poll(June 18, 2011)

47. Huntsman surprises in big GOP straw poll: 2nd Place (June 18, 2011)

48. Des Moines Register IA Poll (June 25, 2011) • Romney 23% • Bachmann 22% • Cain 10% • Paul 7% • Gingrich 7% • Pawlenty 7% • Santorum 4% • Huntsman 2%

49. Johnson: Legalize marijuana

50. Most Googled candidate in Iowa is...(August 11, 2011) • Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann isn't just the GOP frontrunner in Iowa. She's also the most Googled candidate in the leadoff caucus state.