Thaddeus McCotter, a congressman from Michigan, ran for the Republican Party's nomination for president in 2012 but was unsuccessful. He declared his intention to run in July 2011 and officially announced his candidacy the next day. McCotter based his campaign on "five core principles" and focused on government reform and Wall Street. However, his lack of name recognition and low poll numbers hindered his chances. After a last-place finish in the Ames Straw Poll and being excluded from debates, he dropped out of the race in September 2011 and endorsed Mitt Romney. McCotter resigned from Congress in 2012 amid a fraud investigation. Thaddeus McCotter began his political career in 1993 and served in various positions, including the Michigan State Senate and the United States House of Representatives. He was known for his conservative beliefs and opposition to pork barrel spending. McCotter also had a reputation as an "oddball" in Congress, with a love for rock music and appearances on Fox News. Thaddeus McCotter began to consider a presidential run after the release of his book in February 2011. He confirmed in May that he was seriously considering running and expressed his dissatisfaction with the current Republican candidates. Speculation increased when he attacked Mitt Romney and entered a straw poll, and on June 30, Politico reported that he was ready to start his campaign. Thaddeus McCotter filed the necessary paperwork and opened a campaign website to officially launch his presidential campaign. He announced his candidacy at a Freedom Festival in Michigan where he stressed the importance of self-government over big government. Despite being considered a little-known candidate with low chances of nomination, McCotter had a significant amount of money available for his campaign and hired experienced advisers. Thaddeus McCotter received media attention for his hometown newspaper's negative reaction to his run for presidency. Despite this, he continued his campaign in New Hampshire and Iowa, although his popularity remained low. He participated in the first-ever Twitter presidential debate and supported the House Speaker's plan during the debt ceiling crisis. However, he did not meet the polling thresholds to participate in the Ames Straw Poll and subsequent debates. McCotter continued to campaign in New Hampshire and Iowa but was eventually excluded from the Orlando GOP POTUS debate.

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