WASHINGTON — A broad field of GOP candidates is ramping up preparations for presidential runs in the wake of early maneuvering by establishment favorites Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, kicking off the race for the 2016 Republican nomination at a breakneck speed.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who is making a swing through New Hampshire on Wednesday, has tapped a campaign manager for his expected bid, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is mobilizing wealthy donors quietly.
Other possible contenders are holding meetings with party activists and donors, emphasizing their interest in running.
“Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney both threw a very interesting wrench in the mix,” said GOP strategist Saul Anuzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. “I don’t think anybody expected them to come out so early or to come out so forcefully. If everybody stays in, it’s truly a wide-open ballgame.”
Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sought to use their State of the State addresses Tuesday to lay out rationales for their anticipated GOP bids.
While there is not a single declared candidate, as many as two dozen contenders could make the intraparty fight one of the largest and most competitive in modern presidential politics.
“I think everyone is looking at the race right now,” Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told Fox News Channel. He included himself in that group, and he will address a conservative gathering in Iowa this month.
The rapid developments resemble the rush in early 2007, when candidates on both sides were quick to position themselves for White House runs.
Romney plans to address party leaders Friday at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting in San Diego. Romney, who lost decisively to Obama in 2012, has been making the case to former donors that he would prevail in another campaign because, as he put it, “I’ve been vindicated,” according to people familiar with the conversations.
