Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton was in New Hampshire this week as he appeared to lay the groundwork for a presidential run four years from now, Business Insider reported on Wednesday.
Although he campaigned for down-ballot Republicans who remain relative long shots in their bids to unseat Democratic incumbents in Congress, he was not subtle when asked about speculation that he will run for president in 2024, saying "I expect I'll be back to New Hampshire again in the future."
Even though the state only has four electoral votes, New Hampshire has an outsized influence as the first-in-the-nation primary state.
Cotton, 43, has long been mentioned as a future presidential contender and he looked just the part in the Granite State as he mingled with the type of Republicans who can offer donations, venues for events, and homes for campaign staffers to stay in during primary season.
His presence in small, intimate stops also gave Republican donors and state lawmakers a chance to check him out ahead of a potential 2024 bid.
Cotton described to the Insider what he considered solid Republican values that were important to promote, saying, "If you're a Granite Stater and you care about keeping more of the money you earn, and you care about being able to defend your home. .. and you want to protect our country from illegal [immigration], and you want to protect American jobs for American workers first, and you want a military that is second to none to defend our nation, hopefully without ever having to fire a shot, then … the Republican Party is your party."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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