Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd is running for president

Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd announced on CBS Thursday he's running for the Republican nomination for president.

He said he decided to run because "we live in complicated times and we need common sense." He said Republicans should be talking about "the future not the past" and focus on topics like the economy and education instead of creating divisions between Americans.

He followed up his appearance on the morning show with a video posted on the social media site Twitter.

His pitch to voters started with this line: "The soul of our country is under attack."

In Congress, Hurd represented what was then the longest stretch of U.S.-Mexico border in any one congressional district. He became an outspoken critic of then-President Donald Trump's plan to build a wall along the southern border, saying it was not the right solution.

In Congress, he served on the House Intelligence Committee and was seen as a potential swing vote against Trump in his first impeachment proceedings. Ultimately, he voted not to impeach the former president.

He surprised most political watchers by not seeking reelection in 2020, saying he wanted to serve the country in a different way. At the time, Hurd was the only Black Republican in the House. He pledged to continue to help "grow a Republican Party that looks like America."

Prior to his first election to Congress in 2014, Hurd served as an undercover officer in the CIA for nearly a decade, where he focused on counterterrorism operations.

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