Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley confirmed Wednesday he will not launch a presidential bid in 2024, CNN political reporter Alayna Treene said in a tweet.
Hawley told CNN reporters Manu Raju and Nicky Robertson that he is seeking re-election for his Senate seat, according to Treene. His confirmation follows former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s Tuesday announcement challenging former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.
“I hope to be a candidate for the Senate for re-election,” the senator said.
.@HawleyMO tells @mkraju & @NickyGRobertson he is NOT running for president in 2024. “I hope to be a candidate for the Senate for re-election,” he says
As for @NikkiHaley‘s bid: “I wish her well, I’m sure there will be many others,” Hawley said
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) February 15, 2023
Hawley previously said he hopes to serve a second term in the Senate instead of running for president. He first assumed office in 2019 after defeating the now-former Democratic Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill. (RELATED: ‘Dead’—Josh Hawley Says The Midterm Elections Were ‘The Funeral Of The Republican Party’)
The Republican senator reportedly wished Haley the best in her challenge to Trump in the primary.
“I wish her well, I’m sure there will be many others,” he reportedly said.
Trump became the first to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential race in November, and Haley became his first challenger after previously saying she would not launch a presidential campaign if the former president ran. Conservative author Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed to the Daily Caller that he is “seriously considering” becoming a presidential candidate.