ReutersChancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps have announced they are standing for the Conservative Party leadership.
Mr Shapps told the Sunday Times he was ruling out a general election if he was successful in becoming prime minister.
Mr Zahawi has said he will lower taxes, boost defence spending, and continue with education reforms he began while education secretary.
Earlier, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he would not run.
In a statement on Twitter, Mr Wallace said his focus is on his current job and “keeping this great country safe”.
The cabinet ministers join former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Attorney General Suella Braverman, former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat in launching campaigns to take over from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
If he wins the contest, Mr Shapps pledged to produce an emergency budget, instruct his chancellor to cut personal tax for the poorest people and give state support to businesses with high levels of energy consumption.
He was one of the senior cabinet ministers who did not resign amid a chaotic week in Westminster which led to Mr Johnson’s resignation.
Appearing to criticise colleagues who did, he told the paper he had “not spent the last few turbulent years plotting or briefing against the prime minister” or organisation a leadership campaign in the background.
He told the paper: I tell you this: for all his flaws – and who is not flawed? – I like Boris Johnson. I have never, for a moment, doubted his love of this country.”
It had looked like Mr Wallace was in a particularly strong position as he had been topping surveys run by the website Conservative Home and was the bookmakers’ favourite.
There will now be a lot of interest in which of the candidates he endorses, as getting him on board is likely to be a big boost to their campaign.
The most high profile candidate to replace Mr Johnson so far is former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who launched his campaign on Friday saying “someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions”.
Several senior Tory MPs have endorsed his campaign, including Oliver Dowden, Mark Spencer and Liam Fox and he remains the bookmakers favourite to take over from prime minister Boris Johnson
Mr Sunak’s resignation from the cabinet on Tuesday helped trigger the mass walkout of ministers that forced the PM to stand down as Tory leader.
Mr Johnson has said he intends to stay on in Downing Street until a successor is chosen.
Former Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch confirmed her candidacy in the Times, telling the paper she wanted a limited government and to “tell the truth”.
