WASHINGTON – Most of the Republican presidential candidates will be lobbying the same group this weekend, vying for a special place in the increasingly crowded 2024 campaign: Top alternative to Donald Trump.
The Faith and Freedom Coalition, which bills its Washington, D.C. conference as “the largest public policy gathering of conservative and Christian activists in the nation,” will hear Friday from Republican contenders Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, Francis Suarez, Tim Scott, Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis.
Nikki Haley addresses the convention of religious conservatives on Saturday.
Trump, who still leads Republican polls despite two indictments and questions about his appeal to independent voters, has the group’s prime speaking slot, the “keynote address” at a Saturday dinner closing the conference.
“The purpose of the conference is to empower conservative activists to fight for their values at the polls,” the organization said in statements announcing its various speakers.
The high-profile gathering of candidates comes as the GOP race gets increasingly crowded; former Texas congressman Will Hurd announced his candidacy on Thursday.
Religious voters are expected to play a key role in Republican delegate contests next year, especially early ones in Iowa and South Carolina.
The Faith and Freedom Coalition is a frequent stop for Republican presidential candidates a half-year before primaries start.
This year’s topics are expected to range from efforts to end abortion a year after the Supreme Court reversed Roe vs. Wade to this week’s plea bargain involving presidential son Hunter Biden.
Social issues are also high on the candidates’ agendas, including the religious liberty rights to transgender policies.
It’s not known how much other candidates will discuss another top campaign issue: Trump.
As the campaign unfolds in the months to come, the former president faces two criminals trials, one in Florida and another in New York.
A federal grand jury in Florida indicted Trump for obstruction of justice in connection with the hoarding of classified documents. A state grand jury in New York charged him with falsifying business records as part of a hush money scheme.
Moreover, Trump remains under investigation in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., over attempts to reverse his election loss to President Joe Biden.
The former president has denounced all the investigations as politically motivated, an argument he is expected to make again before members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.
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