Penny Mordaunt was the first Conservative MP to officially announce she would stand to replace Liz Truss as Tory leader and prime minister.
Mordaunt needs 100 MPs to back her before nominations close at 14:00 BST (6.30PM IST).
Her campaign claimed she had passed 90, with a spokesperson telling the BBC: "For the sake of the party, it's important our members have their say."
If Mordaunt does reach 100 backers, the race could then go to an online ballot of Conservative Party members, with the winner of that being announced on Friday. She would have a much better chance in such a contest, due to frontrunner Rishi Sunak's simultaneous popularity with MPs, coupled with his unpopularity with the Tory rank-and-file.
Who is she? A career full of ups and downs
Her political career at the highest levels began only three years ago -- In May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed to the senior Cabinet post of Secretary of State for Defence, replacing Gavin Williamson, becoming the first woman to hold the post.
She served as Defence Secretary for 85 days before returning to the backbenches, having been removed from the position by the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
In the February 2020 reshuffle, she re-entered government as Paymaster General.
In the 2021 reshuffle, she was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy.
Mordaunt entered the leadership contest to succeed Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister in 2022, but was eliminated in the final round of voting among Conservative MPs and subsequently endorsed Liz Truss.
Mordaunt was appointed as Leader of the House of Commons when Truss was elevated to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Mordaunt's military background plays a significant role in her political identity. As a British Royal Navy reservist and MP for Portsmouth North, she often speaks about what it means to come from a navy family and a city with a rich naval and maritime heritage.
On a more lighthearted note, she was a magician's assistant before beginning her political career.
