Former vice-president Mike Pence has declared himself a candidate in the 2024 Republican race for the White House – pitting himself against Donald Trump, published Sky News.

Mr Pence‘s campaign filed a declaration of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

He will formally launch his campaign with a video and a speech in the early nominating state of Iowa on Wednesday, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters, which is his 64th birthday.

The 48th vice-president of the United States will challenge his former boss just two years after their White House tenure ended with the Capitol riots – which saw Mr Pence, who was in the building with his family, flee for safety.

Mr Trump is currently leading the early fight for the nomination, with Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, polling consistently in second.

However, Mr Pence’s supporters see a gap in the race for a traditional conservative who backs many of the previous administration’s policies – but does not bring the turmoil associated with Mr Trump’s leadership.

He once stood loyally by the billionaire businessman turned politician – but refused to back the former president when he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.