By Katharine Jackson and Alexandra Ulmer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced on Thursday he is running for president, joining a host of Republican candidates vying for the 2024 nomination days after front-runner Donald Trump faced federal charges in his city.
Suarez, 45, released a campaign video titled “I’m Running,” which showed him jogging around the south Florida city. He described his vision for a youthful, upbeat and cross-cultural campaign in an interview with Reuters.
“Being the only Hispanic candidate from either party allows me to connect with a growing segment of our population,” Suarez said. “I think our candidacy will be positive and inspirational and aspirational, much like Reagan… Our modern-day politics has devolved into a screaming match.”
A Cuban-American who has sought to create a tech-driven economic boom in the city, Suarez is the only Hispanic candidate in the Republican field and the third candidate from Florida, joining former President Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
He is a longshot in a race that is dominated by Trump. Most polls show DeSantis a distant second, and a smattering of other candidates barely registering with voters.
Suarez has had thorny relationships with both Trump and DeSantis. He did not support Trump in his 2020 re-election bid and was critical of some of DeSantis’ COVID pandemic-era policies.
Asked whether that could alienate voters who have embraced Trump and DeSantis’ right-ward turn, Suarez said he wanted to be respectful of voters’ “anger” but that he would seek to channel that energy into a “positive direction.”
Suarez demurred when asked whether, as president, he would pardon Trump. “I don’t want to deal in hypotheticals,” he said.
Suarez has drawn criticism for championing cryptocurrency firms such as the bankrupt FTX, which bought naming rights to the Miami’s basketball arena but was then forced to surrender them.
However, Miami has seen an influx of more traditional tech companies and wealthy investors during his tenure, as well as a construction boom that has helped contribute to the city’s reputation as a top international tourism destination.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson, Alexandra Ulmer and James Oliphant; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Alistair Bell)