Here is a comprehensive listing of the GOP declared candidates and hopefuls. Clearly, the GOP is THE party of inclusion and tolerance.

Declared and Exploratory Republican Candidates

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Army child and business owner Skip Andrews “Skip” Andrews is a diverse candidate who probably has at least one opinion to please anyone. Few politicians are able to satisfy both a pro-legalization marijuana advocate and a staunch pro-lifer. Of course, this also means most would object to a majority of his platform. More on Skip Andrews

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Creative Dreamer Michael Bickelmeyer An eccentric fellow who enjoys coming up with some very creative inventions, Bickelmeyer is running for the GOP nomination in 2016. He has a very dim view of terrorists and drug traffickers – in fact, he wants to deploy weapons to fry them from orbit. More on Michael Bickelmeyer

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Veteran and volunteer spokesperson with Americans For Fair Taxation (AFFT) Kerry Bowers A former military man with a long career in the United States Air Force, Kerry Bowers has experience not only in the armed forces but as a police dispatcher, businessman, and in many other fields. More on Kerry Bowers

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush Florida's only Republican two-term Governor, Jeb Bush is a heavyweight political contender who comes from a family of presidents. His left-leaning ideologies make him too liberal for the taste of some in his party, however, and his lineage could be hindrance rather than help. More on Jeb Bush

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Physician, Author and Citizen Politician Dr. Ben Carson Ben Carson is a highly accomplished physician who is seen as a breath of fresh air in the world of politics. He has left his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Center and is in pursuit of the U.S. presidency in 2016. More on Dr. Ben Carson

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate International entrepreneur and business professor Dale Christensen With experience in business management around the world, Dale Christensen is a self-described “first and foremost” family man who advocates a variety of conservative principles. More on Dale Christensen

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie Assurances given to a number of his biggest campaign contributors held Gov. Christie back from running in 2012, despite pleas from party luminaries such as former president George H.W. Bush. However, Gov. Christie has been slowly but surely positioning himself for a 2016 run. More on Chris Christie

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate U.S. Senator from Texas Ted Cruz The Harvard and Princeton-educated attorney once served as the Domestic Policy Advisor to former president George W. Bush. Noted for his formidable oratory skill, Senator Cruz is viewed by some as one of the intellectual leaders of the tea party movement. More on Ted Cruz

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Constitutional Republican and strong conservative John Dummett, Jr. Hailing from the state of California, John Dummet, Jr is a Constitutional Republican who has become disenfranchised with both the Republican and Democratic parties. More on John Dummett, Jr.

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Businessman and former IRS Commissioner Mark Everson A strong conservative with an extremely dim view of large banks, Mark Everson calls the integrity of mainstream politicians into question and accuses them of catering to monied special interests. He strongly believes a President should serve only a single term. More on Mark Everson

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Businesswoman and Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina The only well-known woman running for the Republican nomination in 2016, Carly Fiorina is a unique political figure. Her business experience and conservative principles make her attractive to the right, but past difficulties and failures could haunt her moving forward. More on Carly Fiorina

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate U.S. Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham The former Colonel with the USAF JAG unit has been one of the most recognized Republican faces in the post-2012 election era. However, his reputation as a compromise broker in Congress has taken a hit over his recent conversion into a foreign policy hawk. More on Lindsey Graham

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former combat pilot and current airline captain Chris Hill Chris Hill is a combat veteran who served as a pilot during Desert Storm. Although he is running on the Republican ticket, some of his leanings are at odds with those of the GOP, including his “Living Wage” plan and his support for labor unions and recognition of gay marriages. More on Chris Hill

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of Arkansas, Man of Faith and TV Personality Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee is an Evangelical Christian who never shies away from his faith. In January, 2015, he bid farewell as host of his popular talk show on the Fox News Channel to pursue his 2016 presidential bid. More on Mike Huckabee

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Current Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal Gov. Jindal created history in 2008 when he became the first Indian American to be elected a state Governor. At the grand old age of 24, the Rhodes Scholar was appointed by Gov. Murphy Foster to manage the Health and Human Services Dept., the largest department in the state. More on Bobby Jindal

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Conservative and Tea Party supporter Michael Kinlaw Michael Kinlaw is a conservative Republican who has strong opinions on a number of issues. His views put him right in line with a number of other conservatives likely to run in 2016. Kinlaw has no political background and has launched his campaign in his hometown of Houston. More on Michael Kinlaw

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Successful entrepreneur and media personality Dennis Michael Lynch Affectionately known as “DML”, Lynch boasts a quarter-century of experience in building and managing successful businesses. He has also worked as a film producer, made public speeches and provided political commentary. He has appeared copiously on television and radio. More on Dennis Michael Lynch

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of New York George Pataki A three-term Governor of New York State with an impressive political career besides, George Pataki is a red Republican who has found success in blue country. His fiscal policies are pleasing enough to the GOP base, but his stance on social issues may leave something to be desired. More on George Pataki

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate U.S. Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul Sen. Paul finally emerged from the huge shadow of his larger than life father, maverick Republican Ron Paul, when he was selected to deliver the tea party response to President Obama’s SOTU address in 2013, and in the process, cementing his de facto leadership of the movement. More on Rand Paul

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of Texas and 2012 presidential candidate Rick Perry After his ultimately underwhelming presidential bid in 2012, Gov. Perry, the longest serving Texas governor in history, will announce his decision on a presidential bid at an event hosted by Perry’s political action committee, RickPAC, on June 4, 2015. More on Rick Perry

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Businessman and veteran Michael Petyo A “business first” fiscal conservative with a very optimistic view of the role played by corporations in generating wealth, Michael Petyo is himself a business owner who feels the United States has lost its way economically and that relaxed regulation on the private sector is the solution. More on Michael Petyo

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate U.S. Senator from Florida Marco Rubio Marco Rubio is definitely on the short list of names for Republican frontrunner. Being himself of Cuban heritage, he enjoys strong support among the important Latino demographic, in addition to holding solid conservative principles that make him eminently likeable to the Republican constituency. More on Marco Rubio

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Entrepreneur, innovator, limited government advocate Brian Russell Brian Russell is a successful entrepreneur who believes that implementing sound economic policy should be the government’s top priority. He also supports a strong military and foreign policy that presents the USA as the true leader in the free world. More on Brian Russell

Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former US Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum The former two-term Senator from Pennsylvania announced yet another bid to be the party’s nominee for president in 2016 on May 27, 2015. With a small but loyal base behind him, Senator Santorum will work to expand his demographic appeal over the next months. More on Rick Santorum

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Businessman and perennial exploratory presidential candidate Donald Trump A wealthy business tycoon and well-known American personality, Donald Trump brings a dour attitude that never fails to entertain. He has channeled his notoriety into a number of outlets, including a successful reality show and a public feud with rival celebrity Rosie O'Donnell. More on Donald Trump

Exploratory 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker Gov. Walker’s proposed Wisconsin Act 10 triggered a wave of controversy that forced a recall election in his second year in office. However, Gov. Walker prevailed and achieved the distinction of becoming the country’s first governor to survive a recall election. More on Scott Walker

Potential Republican Candidates

Potential 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of Maryland Bob Ehrlich Bob Ehrlich is a Republican who generally keeps to the middle, as necessitated by his success as a politician in the mostly liberal state of Maryland. His unapologetically pro-business stance, however, promises dividends from conservatives and difficulties from most others. More on Bob Ehrlich

Potential 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Former Governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore Jim Gilmore has ruffled conservative feathers with his abortion positions, but there is no doubting his right-wing tendencies on a number of other issues. He has also achieved the closest analogue to filling the Oval Office - governing a state – giving him the resume to back up his potential aspirations. More on Jim Gilmore

Potential 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Governor of Ohio John Kasich After his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2000, the nine-term member of the House took a break from politics and joined the private sector, most notably serving as the Managing Director of the now defunct Lehman Bros. His 2010 comeback saw him elected the 69th Governor of Ohio. More on John Kasich

Potential 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate U.S. Representative from New York Peter King Representing New York's 2nd Congressional District, King has had a long and extremely successful political career. He is a former city councilman and comptroller, before being elected to congress in 1992. He represents the establishment wing of the Republican Party. More on Peter King

Potential 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Governor of Michigan
	Rick Snyder
The former professor, venture capitalist, accountant and IT executive emerged from out of the blue to win the 2010 gubernatorial election. Running on a social conservative platform and gun rights, Gov. Snyder defeated his Democratic rival Virg Bernero by an impressive 18 percent. More on Rick Snyder