Official (and Potential) Candidates for the 2016 Presidential Election

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While Election Day is still over a year away, the Democrats and Republicans are already announcing candidates to fill the vacancy that will be left by President Obama after his two four-year terms. Although there will probably many more announcements about candidates closer to the election, both parties have candidates with their eyes on the most coveted position in American government.

As of right now, the Republicans have two people that have officially stated campaigning. Ted Cruz announced his bid a few weeks ago, and the Senator already began visiting swing states like Iowa to meet potential voters. Rand Paul, another US Senator and son of famous politician Ron Paul, more recently announced that he would be running to be President. There are a number of other Republicans who are rumored to be seeking the Republican nomination including Jeb Bush (brother of George W. Bush and former Governor of Florida), Scott Walker (Governor of Wisconsin), Chris Christie (Governor of New Jersey), Mike Huckabee (Former Governor of Arkansas), Marco Rubio (Senator), Rick Santorum (Former Senator), Rick Perry (Former Governor of Texas), Bobby Jindal (Governor of Louisiana), and Carly Fiorina (Former Business executive). Who among them will actually run, and more importantly, who will get the nomination? One thing, however, is certain; Mitt Romney will not be appearing on the ticket. With so many potential candidates, it appears the Republicans will have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to the caucuses.

Democrats, on the other hand, are on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to announcements and potential candidates. Hillary Clinton has not announced her candidacy yet, but has stated that she is planning to do so within the next few days. Other potential nominees include Martin O’Malley (Former Governor of Maryland), Jim Webb (Former Senator), and Lincoln Chaffe (Former Governor of Rhode Island). Rumor has it that very few Democrats have planned to run since the party will, most likely, be running Hillary as their Presidential Candidate. Will we have our first female President? Will we have another Bush vs. Clinton scenario? Only time will tell, but make sure you read up on the candidates and make an informed decision when you go out and vote on Election Day!

Content Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/us/politics/2016-presidential-candidates.html

• 2016 election
• Hillary Clinton
• Options
• Rand Paul
• Ted Cruz