The number of Republican candidates for president for 2016 has grown.
Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina announced on Monday she is running for president, becoming the only woman in the pack of Republican candidates for the White House in 2016.
And retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson told a Florida television station on Sunday that he is running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He would be the first African-American to enter the growing Republican field for the party's presidential nomination next year.
"I'm willing to be part of the equation and, therefore, I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States of America," Carson said in an interview with CBS affiliate WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Once one of the most powerful women in the American corporate world, Fiorina announced her bid on ABC News' "Good Morning America" show.
"Yes, I am running for president. I think I'm the best person for the job because I understand how the economy actually works. I understand the world, who's in it, how the world works," she said.
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Carly Fiorina (Gretchen Ertl/Reuters)
Fiorina registers near the bottom of polls of the dozen or so Republican hopefuls and has never held public office.
But she has already attracted warm receptions at events in the early voting state of Iowa where she is positioning herself as a conservative, pro-business Republican highly critical of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Fiorina was forced by HP to resign in 2005 as the tech company struggled to digest Compaq after a $19 billion merger.
Carson, 63, who is popular with the conservative Tea Party movement, is expected to formally declare his candidacy at an event in Detroit on Monday.
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Ben Carson (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
“Many people have suggested to me that I should run for president, even though I’m not a politician,” said Carson, who has never before sought elective office.
The first doctor to successfully separate twins conjoined at the head, Carson developed a conservative following in 2013 after he advocated a flat tax, private medical savings accounts and other conservative policies at a National Prayer Breakfast speech that was attended by President Barack Obama.
Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky have already entered the Republican presidential race, while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will make an announcement on Tuesday about his plans. He also ran for the nomination in 2008.
Other potential Republican candidates include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Among Democrats, former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considered the front-runner for the party's presidential nomination. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont entered the Democratic race last week.
