Mike Pence: Trump's ex-vice president and running mate files paperwork for 2024 presidential bid

The former US Vice President Mike Pence has officially joined the race on the Republican ticket for the 2024 US Election.

Pence, 63, was the former running mate and later vice president to Donald Trump. The pair look likely to come face-to-face as they join the fray for the Republican nomination for the presidential election next year, with Trump having announced his campaign back in November 2022.

While the relationship between the two was rosy for the most part of Trump's time in office, their relationship soured after Pence refused to back his former boss in claims that the 2020 election was "stolen" and did not echo his calls to overturn the result. Trump is currently topping national polls to win the nomination despite being indicted on criminal charges of falsifying business records.

Although distancing himself from the controversy surrounding Trump's final days in office, Pence is said to have remained closely aligned with his policies. He will be hoping to attract the support of Republicans who still support Trump-era policies without the persona or controversies of the former president.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also thrown his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination. He launched his campaign during a Twitter event with tech mogul Elon Musk, however the session on Twitter Spaces was fraught with technical hiccups.

A recent CNN poll has placed Trump first with Republican voters at 53% for the first choice for the nomination, while DeSantis trails in second place at 26%. Pence may have long to go to pick up the speed of his opponents, picking up only six percent.