Here is your status check of the 2016 candidates. Just click or tap any emoji to share your faves or your foes.
Try to catch ’em all!
Joe Biden: The vice president is probably not running, but Draft Biden campaign is egging him on. He says he will decide this summer.
Jeb Bush: The brother of former President “Dubya,” son of President H.W. and a former governor of Florida will likely run. He already has a successful super PAC and cut ties with outside companies. Recently, he could be seen courting Hispanic evangelicals in Texas, calling for policies that would let undocumented immigrants “come out from the shadows.”
Ben Carson: The retired neurosurgeon announced that he is running in his hometown of Detroit on May 4 saying, “I don’t want to be a politician. Because politicians do what is politically expedient — I want to do what’s right.” In the past, he has apologized for saying “prison proves being gay is a choice.”
Lincoln Chafee: The former Rhode Island Republican senator-turned-Independent, governor-turned-Democrat is not yet officially running for president. In a recent interview, Chafee told CNN, “Yes, that’s why I’m running.” However, his spokeswoman says they are “still in the exploratory committee phase.”
Chris Christie: The local politics of the Bridgegate scandal haunt the New Jersey governor even though he has repeatedly denied involvement in the scheme. He’s probably running in 2016; expect an announcement by June.
Hillary Clinton: The former secretary of state is running after announcing online on April 12 before taking a road trip to Iowa. New to her platform is her markedly new position on same-sex marriage, calling gay marriage a right afforded by the Constitution.
Ted Cruz: The Texas Republican was the first to officially announce his candidacy, doing so on March 23 at Lynchburg University. “The promise of America seems more distant for so many,” he said. Calls Jeb Bush a “mushy middle” candidate. His focus: the tea party, libertarian and Christian conservative circles. Cruz super PACs are busy raising money. Spending time in Iowa, Cruz aims to be their favorite Christian candidate.
Carly Fiorina: The former Hewlett Packard CEO announced she is running for the president on May 4. She is the first declared female candidate to seek the 2016 GOP nomination. And did we mention that her jingle sounds a lot like “The More You Know” PSA?
Lindsey Graham: The South Carolina senator might run and isn’t a stranger to the all-important first caucus state, Iowa. A potential bid could focus on Graham’s foreign policy expertise and for now, he’s working his ties to South Carolina — where at a recent GOP gathering, he hinted at a run by saying, “The next President of the United States should have an accent. That’s the only thing I’m going to say about that.”
Mike Huckabee: The politician-turned-Fox News host announced that he is running for president from his hometown of Hope, Arkansas on 5/5. Polls show Huckabee is well known and well liked among Republicans, no doubt helped along by his weekly Fox News show from which he has already resigned. This will be the second presidential pursuit bid for Huckabee; he ended his first bid for the 2008 GOP nomination after losing the Texas Republican primary.
John Kasich: The Ohio governor could be a contender. He said the likelihood that he’ll enter the race of the GOP nomination “looks pretty good.” A Kasich campaign would probably featuring his popular fiscal conservatism platform but he isn’t all-in just yet. “I’m not sure I want to sound like a candidate. I just want to sound like an American who’s trying to make this country a heck of a lot stronger,” he said.
Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor will probably run. Jindal launched a political group whose name is under scrutiny for similarities with another established group.
Martin O’Malley: The former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor is probably running. Recently, he canceled speaking engagements in Ireland to return to his home city amid the turmoil that ensued after the death of Freddie Gray. Recently, he accepted responsibility for implementing tough policing policies that many critics say have contributed to incidents like that of Freddie Gray.
Rand Paul: The Kentucky senator announced his candidacy on April 7 at Louisville, highlighting a libertarian platform. One question looming over Paul: Can he escape his father’s shadow?
Rick Perry: The former Texas governor is probably running, striking a more serious tone this time around after his failed 2012 attempt. A possible sign of his popularity — Perry was in South Carolina at a Republican convention in early May where he got a huge applause when he said, “The best defense against crime is an armed citizen.”
Marco Rubio: The Florida senator announced on April 13 that he is running, undeterred by the likely run of his former mentor and friend, Jeb Bush, when it comes to the 2016 race.
Bernie Sanders: The independent Vermont senator announced that he is running in 2016 on April 30 and will be seeking the Democratic nomination. His campaign announced Friday that it raised more than $1.5 million in its first 24 hours, a number that far outpaces what Republican presidential hopefuls posted in their first day.
Rick Santorum: The former Pennsylvania senator will probably run; sources say he’s got a team of fundraisers and has talked to his inner circle about a campaign. In early May, Santorum was one of the GOP voices making their case for their likely bids at a Republican convention in South Carolina.
Elizabeth Warren: Despite Warren saying that she isn’t running, the Massachusetts senator followed up the “Will you run?” question with, “I want to see who else gets in this race … And I want to see what the issues are that they push.”
Scott Walker: The Wisconsin governor will probably run, and sources say he’s building his team and a campaign plan with former Sen. Jim Talent already on board. Walker hit back at GOP’s potential 2016 candidate Marco Rubio over whether a governor can be ready for presidency saying, “leadership matters more than experience.”
Jim Webb: The former Virginia senator and Vietnam veteran is probably running, hinting that he’ll draw a contrast with Hillary Clinton on criminal justice reform.
