With the election now in the rear view mirror, the United States will turn its attention to what President Obama will do in his second term. Some, however, are looking even further at the 2016 election. Below are three candidates from each party who are possible presidential candidates four years from now.
Republican
1. Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey
Known for his aggressive, brazen, tell-it-like-it-is style, Christie is an early frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination. If not a national figure already, Christie garnered widespread attention by delivering the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in August. His cooperation with Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy could also bolster a potential bid, giving him a record of working with the opposite party. A Quinnipiac poll released in mid-October showed that the Republican governor enjoyed a 56 percent approval rating in a traditionally Democratic state.
2. Paul Ryan, Vice Presidential nominee and U.S. Representative in Wisconsin
As the running mate for Gov. Mitt Romney, Ryan would be the most experienced in presidential campaigning. The native Wisconsinite fared quite well against Joe Biden in the vice presidential debate last month, which would also undoubtedly give him an advantage in future primary and potentially presidential debates should he choose to run. Ryan is also well-known for his budget plan, which at times has contested with Romney’s policies. The plan includes major cuts in federal spending, reworking personal income taxes into two brackets and reducing corporate taxes by 10 percent.
3. Marco Rubio, Senator in Florida
Dubbed by many media outlets as the crown prince of the Tea Party Movement, Rubio was also mentioned as a possible running mate for Romney. Big-name GOP figures, including Jeb Bush, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, all endorsed Rubio to be Romney’s running mate. Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, is likely to garner support from the Hispanic community, which overwhelmingly votes Democratic and is an increasingly important voting bloc in elections.
*Honorable mention: Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana
Democrat
1. Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York state
Cuomo, whose father was also the governor of New York, has constrained himself to rarely appearing on the national stage. However, Cuomo’s record as governor, which includes balancing the state budget and legalizing same-sex marriage, would appeal to the national audience. In April, the Washington Post ranked Cuomo as the most popular governor in the United States, and both Obama and Romney raised the idea of Cuomo running for the Oval Office at the Al Smith dinner last month.
2. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Like Biden, Clinton also ran for the presidency in 2008, fighting tooth and nail with Obama before conceding and eventually becoming a member of Obama’s cabinet. A USA Today and Gallup poll in May 2012 revealed that 66 percent have a favorable view of Clinton. Bill Clinton, who has been perhaps the most effective campaigner for Obama’s successful re-election, would give the former First Lady an edge that would be hard to overcome. Even though Clinton is stepping down as Secretary of State for Obama’s second term and has persistently denied presidential aspirations, her intentions may ripen four years from now.
3. Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States
Biden fueled further speculation at a potential 2016 presidential run when he told a reporter that his vote on Tuesday would likely not be the last time he votes for himself. Having ran for the presidency twice, including in 2008 before bowing out to Obama, Biden has not been shy about higher political aspirations.
*Honorable mention: Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland
A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Nov. 7 print edition. Tony Chau is city/state editor. Email him at [email protected]
