Fivethirtyeight.com analyzed how Republicans who ran in the presidential primary benefitted from their brief foray into presidential politics. They found that most candidates increased their name ID with the American electorate and Republican primary electorate with some candidates benefiting more than others.
By The Numbers:
Vivek Ramaswamy was relatively unknown before he launched his presidential campaign, so he benefitted the most by increased name ID, both with the American electorate and Republican primary electorate.
Governor Ron DeSantis had the highest ID out of all the candidates, around 80%. His ID stayed around the same at his campaign’s end.
Asa Hutchinson, Will Hurd, and Doug Burgum were also relatively unknowns outside of their states when they began their campaigns. They all increased their name ID slightly, but never reached the levels of former Vice President Mike Pence and DeSantis.
The Bottom Line: There are benefits to running for president, even if you don’t win. Name ID is just one positive. Increasing a donor base, honing a message, and positioning for a high position in an administration or a future run are also positives. Since Donald Trump continues dominating the earned media, it wasn’t as easy this time to break through as it’s been in the past. However, several candidates new to the national scene were able to introduce themselves to America over the past year. Time will tell what they do with their newfound notoriety.
