Conservative talk show host Larry Elder enters GOP presidential race

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder jumped in the 2024 Republican presidential race Thursday night, making his announcement on Tucker Carlson's Fox News program.

Elder, 70, first ran for office in the 2021 campaign to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D); he got the most votes of any of the 46 candidates, meaning he would have become governor if the voters hadn't chosen by a wide margin to keep Newsom in office. Elder is joining a slightly less crowded GOP presidential field dominated by former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who has not officially entered the race.

Other contenders include former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is officially exploring a presidential bid, and former Vice President Mike Pence is among the Republicans considering entering the race.

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Elder told Carlson he is running in part because his father and brothers served in the military, "I'm the only one who didn't serve, and I don't feel good about that," adding, "I feel I have a moral, a religious, and a patriotic duty to give back to a country that's been so good to my family and me." Elder grew up in South-Central Los Angeles, attended Brown University, and got a law degree from Michigan State. He has built up a following among conservatives through his talk show and frequent appearances on Fox News and other right-wing media.