The first presidential candidate for 2016 has announced his run: Republican Rep. Peter King of New York.
King told a New Hampshire radio station that he was visiting the state last week "because right now I'm running for president." It was King's second of four scheduled visits to the state this year,
the New York Daily News reports.
King earlier this year
hinted at running, but the radio admission not only seemingly makes it official, it would also make King the first member of either party to official throw a hat in the ring.
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Possibile GOP candidates with more name recognition include Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. King has criticized Paul's libertarian views and Cruz's conservativism.
Christie, from the same area of the country as King, is closer to King's views, and both have been criticial of Republicans who voted against relief for Hurricane Sandy, which was devasting to the northeast in 2012.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,
was surprised in July when King first talked about a run, saying she personally liked him, but wondered whether he was joking.
Polls currently have former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton running far ahead of any other possible contenders for the Democratic nomination.
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