The list of official major candidates vying for the Republican nomination for President will grow this week, as Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee are set to join the race, all part of a broader battle that for now features a limited Democratic Party field and a much larger 2016 menu for the GOP.
Of the three announcing this week, Fiorina has been getting the most attention on the ground in Iowa - the Des Moines Register recently characterized her bid as "picking up speed" in the Hawkeye State.
One fan favorite has been Fiorina's jabs at Hillary Clinton:
Outside of her attacks on the Democratic Party frontrunner, Fiorina's stump speech is a familiar Republican brand, emphasizing the need to get control of the growing size - and involvement - of the federal government in the lives of Americans, both at home and in their businesses.
"Our government must be fundamentally reformed," Fiorina said to applause earlier this year in Iowa.
Instead of gathering supporters for an announcement on Monday, Fiorina will do it with an internet video.
While Fiorina makes her news online, Republican Ben Carson will be in Detroit to announce his bid for the White House, as the Tea Party favorite goes back to his home town.
On the stump, the retired neurosurgeon has railed against the size and scope of the federal government, using Tea Party themes to call for cuts in spending.
"I don’t believe the “same old, same old” is going to cut it anymore," Carson wrote in a recent email to supporters.
"The American people are ready for a new kind of leadership," he added.
On Tuesday, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will join the Fiorina and Carson in the GOP race; Huckabee was a factor in 2008 when he won in Iowa, but was unable to really cause serious trouble for eventual Republican nominee John McCain.
Huckabee's introductory video for 2016 starts with a shot of Bill and Hillary Clinton:
Huckabee's announcement will take place in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas - which is also the hometown of another Arkansas Governor - and President - Bill Clinton.
Huckabee will go to Iowa on Wednesday for his first campaign stops.
Unlike 2008 though, Huckabee faces other candidates in 2016 who can do well among evangelicals and other religious Republicans - it's one reason some election experts like Kyle Kondik wonder if Huckabee will have the same impact on this year's Republican race.
But as with all the hopefuls for 2016, the voters will get to make the choice. Iowa is nine months away.
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