The race is on.

President Joe Biden’s announcement last week that he will seek reelection officially kicked off the 2024 presidential contest. Former President Donald Trump already has announced he’s running, as have four other Republicans and two other Democrats.

Another eight Republicans have either expressed interest in running or have been mentioned as potential candidates, but haven’t yet announced they’re running, according to the Washington Post.

In short, voters will have plenty of choices come time for next year’s presidential primaries. And we urge every reader to use the next nearly a year to study each of those candidates well.

Don’t just be a Republican or a Democrat. Don’t just be a Trump supporter or a Biden supporter.

Decide what you want from a president. What do you want the president to do to improve your life and the lives of your friends, family, and neighbors? What do you want a president to stand for? What kind of character do you want in a president? What other characteristics?

Which of those things is most important to you?

Then research each candidate available to you — including by reading the newspaper — to decide which of those candidates best aligns with your beliefs and desires.

Likely, none will align perfectly, but you can find the man or woman who aligns with the most of your positions or who aligns with those positions most important to you.