Ernst says ‘sooner is better’ for possible Pence presidential announcement

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) suggested in an interview Wednesday that former Vice President Mike Pence should announce he is jumping into the GOP presidential primary in the near future, saying “sooner is better.” 

“Well, I would love to see him announce very soon,” Ernst told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill on NewsNation.”

Pence is set to join most of the announced Republican presidential candidates at Ernst’s annual Roast and Ride fundraising event Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. 

“I think he will be riding a motorcycle with us as well,” Ernst said. “We’ll kick off the day and do the motorcycle ride. We’ll end up at the State Fairgrounds and he will be taking the stage.”

“He is beloved by many Iowans as well, so we’ll see but sooner is better,” she continued. 

Pence has been inching toward a presidential campaign announcement in recent weeks. Last week, CNN announced that he would take part in the network’s Republican town hall in Iowa on June 7. 

The former vice president suggested in mid-April that his decision on 2024 would come in a matter of “weeks, and not months.” He also said last month that any “serious” candidate for the Republican nomination would need to enter the race by June.

The crowded GOP primary field grew last week with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s formal entrances into the race. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to announce his presidential campaign next week. 

Despite the growing field, former President Trump remains the leading Republican candidate in the polls. According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump leads the GOP field with roughly 53 percent support, while DeSantis is in second place with about 22 percent support. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Pence are in third and fourth place with 4.4 percent and 3.8 percent support, respectively.