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Ben Carson has a team of Republican journeymen at the helm of his underdog presidential campaign.

As a group, they’re not among the most sought-after GOP operatives of the 2016 cycle. None will turn heads among coveted donors prone to being impressed by big-name hires. Other campaigns won’t be green with envy that they missed out on a consultant who has found an innovative way to move votes or generate energy on the trail. But they are experienced, with lengthy resumes that span presidential campaigns and service on prominent GOP campaign committees.

Maybe his last name isn’t such a liability, after all.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush leads the GOP presidential field according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll. Bush was the first pick of 23 percent of the 251 Republican primary voters surveyed.

G.O.P. Hopefuls Now Aiming to Woo the Middle Class

The last three men to win the Republican nomination have been the prosperous son of a president (George W. Bush), a senator who could not recall how many homes his family owned (John McCain of Arizona; it was seven) and a private equity executive worth an estimated $200 million (Mitt Romney).

For Carson and Fiorina, the trick will be going from spoiler to contender

Before they got into politics, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina excelled in widely different fields: medicine for Carson, the computer business for Fiorina. But as presidential candidates, they have both been defined — and limited — by the same set of skills.

The Republican presidential field is set to grow by three this week with the entries of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and businesswoman Carly Fiorina and the expected announcement Tuesday of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Carson Launces 2016 Bid

Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson launched his campaign for the Republican nomination today in his hometown of Detroit. The Hill reports on his announcement:

Carson launches bid by knocking ‘kingmakers’ and politicians

Ben Carson launched his GOP bid for the White House on Monday by ripping members of both parties and insisting he is the true outsider candidate of 2016.

Carson, a conservative favorite who became a right-wing hero by criticizing President Obama’s policies at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, took shots at ... Read More >>

The rapid growth of the GOP presidential field is causing major headaches for party bosses ahead of a primary debate season that begins this summer.

The dilemma for Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman, is stark: If the declared field grows to 18 or 20 candidates, as now looks plausible, how can those numbers be winnowed in a way that seems fair and reasonable rather than arbitrary and undemocratic?