Campaign

2024 candidates converge on Iowa, New Hampshire for July 4th parades

by Nick Robertson - 07/04/23 9:03 PM ET

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey, walk in the July 4th parade, Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Merrimack, N.H. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha)

Editor’s Note: We have updated this article to reflect that Perry Johnson (R) is a Michigan businessman. We regret the error.

Candidates vying for the White House in 2024 were on the campaign trail for Independence Day, meeting voters all over key early-voting states Iowa and New Hampshire.

Merrimack, N.H., drew the best turnout among candidates, with four Republicans in the town of 25,000 — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Rep. Will Hurd (Texas) and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) — plus Marianne Williamson (D) joining in the parade.

DeSantis is the second-best polling Republican behind former President Trump. DeSantis got soaked in while in a New Hampshire parade.

Michigan businessman Perry Johnson (R) also braved the rain to walk in two New Hampshire parades.

In Iowa, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) started his July Fourth holiday with a run, participating in a Cedar Rapids 5K. He performed well, too, finishing in sixth place and and bragging on his 24:30 time.

Republican presidential candidate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, take cover from the rain before walking in the July Fourth parade Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Merrimack, N.H. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha)

Elsewhere in the Hawkeye State, former Vice President Mike Pence walked in the Urbandale parade with his family, and Burgum arrived from New Hampshire in time to join the parade in Des Moines, while radio host Larry Elder (R) and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) participated in the Clear Lake parade.

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stayed home, joining in his neighborhood parade with his family in suburban Cincinnati.

A few candidates chose not to make campaign stops, most notably the GOP front-runner, former President Trump. Trump sent out a short Truth Social message acknowledging the holiday.

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley (R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also skipped the campaign trail on the holiday.