Pence, who was Vice President during the Trump administration, has distanced himself from Trump's incitement of the January 6th Capitol riot and criticized him for breaking promises on day one and backing off conservative policies.

Pence is the first vice president to challenge his old running mate for his party's nomination and has framed the election as a choice between Trump and the Constitution.

Pence's campaign is expected to walk a tightrope between distancing himself from the chaos of the Trump years while taking credit for the gains he believes the country made.

Other candidates in the race include Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Asa Hutchinson.

Trump remains the dominant Republican figure and is the overwhelming early frontrunner in polls, with none of the other candidates achieving double digits.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized California's immigration policies, stating that the state has relaxed control over immigration and now faces consequences.

DeSantis suggested that California's leaders are only upset about the issue when they have to deal with the effects of their own policies.