Who is Ryan Binkley? What to know about the 2024 Republican presidential candidate
Texas business executive and pastor Ryan Binkley said he has visited all of Iowa's 99 counties in a bid for the Republican nomination for president.
His candidacy has been a long shot, tailing far behind the leaders in the race: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
In a May 2023 interview, Binkley told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, that he believed he could carve a path with a platform that prioritizes unity and, at times, bipartisanship on financial, immigration and health care policy. But December's Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed 0% of caucusgoers said Binkley is their first choice.
Binkley also recently sued the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in an effort to get his name on the primary ballot, despite falling short of the threshold requirements.
Here is what to know about Binkley and his campaign:
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Who is Ryan Binkley?
Binkley is the president, CEO and co-founder of Generational Equity Group, a mergers & acquisitions and business advisory group headquartered in Texas. He previously worked in Procter & Gamble and Boston Scientific Corporation before starting Generational in 2006.
He's also the co-founder and lead pastor of the Create Church, based in Richardson, Texas.
Binkley said in recent years he had "heard calls from the Lord about what's needed in our country," leading him to launch the presidential campaign — his first foray into elected politics. He's touting his business acumen and faith in driving a candidacy that will prioritize "solutions for the country."
What is Binkley focusing on in his platform and campaign?
Binkley has criticized both Democratic and Republican leaders, telling the Des Moines Register in May 2023, they "really have trouble uniting their own party, much less their own country."
He outlined four main areas he said he would be focusing on in his campaign: balancing the federal budget, driving down health care costs, reaching across the aisle to reform immigration policy and "revitalizing education" to encourage community involvement.
Current leaders, he argued, have come up short in all four of those areas.
"Former President Trump ran deficits," he said. "Many other presidents … and our senators today, they've all voted for this continuation of what we've been doing."
When it comes to health care, "we need to know how much it costs," Binkley said, urging further transparency from insurance companies.
He also called for a robust "volunteer movement" among young people to mentor and tutor other students in an effort to boost falling test scores and reading abilities.
And on immigration, he believes the only realistic solution will require cooperation from both parties.
"One party wants a secure border, the other wants some sort of pathway of success for the immigrants that are here," Binkley said. "I think we're going to have to work together with some sort of visibility plan to know who's in our country right now."
The other 2024 Republican presidential candidates
More: Who will win the Iowa Caucuses? 6 GOP candidates' path to victory ‒ or defeat ‒ on Jan. 15
Former President Donald Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
Entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson
Contributing: Sam Woodward
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Ryan Binkley? Create Church pastor campaigning in Iowa Caucuses
