Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, announced Thursday that he is running for president of the United States.

“I have always been a runner. It’s the best place to charge my body and clear my mind. We lived right here in Miami. This is where my parents began their American dream,” Suarez said in a video posted to Twitter. “This is my school. When I became mayor, I wanted to make sure every child had a shot at a great and relevant education. I started a program that helped every child open up their own bank account. For many, that’s where their American dream starts.”

“When I was elected, the city was broke and broken. But we came together, and I won my mayoral election with over 80% of the vote. I lowered taxes to an historic low, and our economy took off, and our tax collections skyrocketed,” Suarez added. “Today, our city is a major technology hub, and we have the lowest unemployment in America because we chose to embrace innovation. Construction is everywhere. Our city is the future.”

Suarez, 45, a Miami native, has been mayor since November 2017 and was reelected in November 2021, according to Ballotpedia. He previously served as a City of Miami Commissioner and a year as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayor in 2022-2023.

“My dad taught me that you get to choose your battles, and I am choosing the biggest one of my life. I’m going to run for president. I’m going to run for your children and mine,” he said. “Let’s give them the future they deserve. It’s time to take things into our own hands. It’s time to get things started.”

Suarez filed paperwork on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission. Also on Wednesday, SOS America PAC released a video in support of Suarez.

“Mayor Suarez fully funded the police department and equipped police officers to preserve law and order,” the video said. “Under Suarez’s watch, Miami’s crime rate plummeted. America needs a leader ready to act. Francis Suarez will not back down.”

“The father, a husband, and a proud believer in American exceptionalism, protecting American families, supporting law enforcement, and defending the American dream, this is Mayor Francis Suarez’s Miami model,” the video also says.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, businessman Perry Johnson, radio talk-show host Larry Elder, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and former President Donald Trump have all announced their GOP presidential campaigns.

Just two Democrats have announced they will compete for their party’s nomination against President Joe Biden in 2024: author and social justice activist Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. 

Liberal activist Cornel West, 70, announced on June 5 that he is running for president under the People’s Party banner. However, West tweeted on Tuesday that he would also be seeking the Green Party’s nomination for president.

The Daily Signal’s Virginia Allen and Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.

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