US Election 2016 candidate profile: Rick Santorum, Republican

The United States will elect its 45th President this year, who will be sworn into office in January, 2017. The first round of polls will begin on Feb.1. The final presidential candidates will be chosen through several rounds of polls. Three Democrats and 12 Republicans are running for the presidential nomination in 2016. Following is a brief profile of one of the Republican presidential candidates.

Candidate

Richard John “Rick” Santorum, Republican

Who Rick Santorum is

Santorum is an American attorney and Republican Party politician who began his political career in 1990 when he first ran as a candidate for the United States House of Representatives. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1994.

In 2012, he ran for the Republican presidential nomination but emerged unsuccessful in his endeavour. Santorum, however, finished second, after the eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Santorum officially announced his nomination on May. 27, 2015.

What Rick Santorum wants

One of the major targets set by Santorum is to bring about a positive change in the economic environment of the country. With his 20/20 Flat Tax Plan, under the economic freedom agenda, he assures America will experience a faster and more stable economic growth.

“This is why I am running for President: to fight every day to advance an Economic Freedom Agenda that will create more opportunity for everyone to rise in society and make life better and safer for all American workers – especially blue collar workers – and their families,” the campaign website quoted him as saying.

He also pledges to put up a strong fight against radical Islam and bring about immigration reforms keeping in mind the welfare of the American workers.

Whom Rick Santorum is fighting against

Rick Santorum is running the Republican presidential nomination against 11 others including Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and Rand Paul. According to the latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll, Santorum has 1 percent support in Iowa, that goes into polls on Feb. 1.