Fifth Time's the Charm: Donald Trump Running for President

Businessman Donald Trump is entering the 2016 presidential race, becoming the 12th Republican to vie for that party's nomination. He made the announcement late this morning at Trump Tower, part of his self-reported $9 billion net worth.

This is the fifth time Trump has considered running for president, but the first time he has launched a formal campaign. He previously floated the idea in 1988, 2000, 2004 and 2012.   

Trump has polled around 5% when included in 2016 Republican nomination surveys. That puts him in a group that includes New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Texas Governor Rick Perry. More importantly, if this ranking holds, it places him within the top 10 candidates that will qualify for the first Republican debate this August.

An update on the Republican field follows. On the Democratic side the four announced candidates are former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. Unlike the tightly bunched Republican field, Mrs. Clinton has a commanding lead in Democratic nomination polling.

2016 Republican Field: Running or Actively Considering

Dates displayed are those when campaign launched or when an announcement is scheduled. The MAP link, where available, goes to an electoral map of that candidate vs. Hillary Clinton based on state-level polling conducted so far.

Announced

Pending Decision

No Announcement Date Set