staying out of it
Tom Cotton reportedly decides against running for president in 2024
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has decided not to run for president in 2024, two people familiar with the matter told Politico.
Cotton, 45, does not want to be away from his two young children for an extended period of time, Politico reports, and he has spent the last few days notifying senior Republicans, donors, and close supporters of his decision. While he won't be running for president, Cotton did make it clear if a Republican wins in 2024, he's open to serving in their administration, Politico says.
Cotton spent the last two years trying to boost his name nationally. He wrote a book about military history, and made several trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, which are early caucus and primary states.
It's expected that potential Republican candidates will start announcing their plans to run in 2024 after Tuesday's midterm elections. Former President Donald Trump could be one of them; last week, he told a crowd in Iowa he'll "very, very, very probably" enter the race.