The 2016 Republican presidential field continues to grow and

Jeb Bush has not even officially entered the race yet. U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will compete for the more conservative voters of the GOP's base, and now there are two more candidates they will have to compete with: former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon.

While Ben Carson is considered a political neophyte, his remarks during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, in which he criticized the Obama administration for a number of policies, including Obamacare, propelled him to conservative stardom. While his bid for the White House is considered by many to be a long-shot, he could have a major impact on the outcome in states like Iowa.

Carly Fiorina, much like Hillary Clinton, didn't put on a show when announcing her presidential nomination. There wasn't a big speech or event. Fiorina made her announcement over social media and in a one minute video on her campaign's website.

http://twitter.com/CarlyFiorina/status/595184937168478208

The LA Times reports:

""We know the only way to re-imagine our government is to re-imagine who is leading it,” [Fiorina] said, in a jab at Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner and only other woman in the race. Carson, a pioneering African American neurosurgeon, plans to return to his native Detroit for a speech later Monday at a downtown performing arts center. He told Sinclair Broadcasting on Sunday night that he was jumping into the race. At the moment, neither Fiorina or Carson have the sort of widespread support among party officials and large fundraising bases enjoyed by top-tier hopefuls. Carson has done well in some early polls, but those numbers more likely reflect the admiration he receives among many conservatives than any serious chance of winning the nomination." - LA Times, May 4, 2015

Read the full article here.