And we’re off! The road to the presidency began with Ted Cruz becoming the first candidate to officially announce his run recently at Liberty University in Virginia.  Shortly after, Florida senator Marco Rubio announced his candidacy, in a speech that took  shot at the presumed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by calling her a leader “from yesterday” who will “take us back to yesterday.”

President Obama has less than two years left in office and it is time for candidates who want to succeed him to get their names out there. This race is for sure a very interesting one.  Republicans feel this win will be inevitable with what they feel is a failed Obama administration.  However, with the country becoming more diverse and socially liberal, Republicans may struggle to gain necessary votes from Latinos and other minority groups, a problem they struggled with last election. Many Democrats feel that the country is in a good state, that the Obama administration has been successful and that they can continue Obama’s ways.  Another interesting thing about thing about this election is that the return of two very well-known American political names, Clinton and Bush.  So let’s take a look at the notable candidates.

REPUBLICANS

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush– Many consider Bush the front runner for the Republican nomination as of right now. He is the brother of former president George W. Bush and son of former president George H. W. Bush. Bush was an extremely popular governor in Florida and because of his name and where he is from he will have the ability to gain support and raise big money. Many consider Bush a more moderate candidate who does not appeal to the conservative base. Another important factor about Bush is that he has spent time teaching in Latin American countries and is married to a Latina. These factors may help Bush gain Latino votes.

Governor Scott Walker– Scott Walker is the current governor of Wisconsin. He is a very conservative candidate and many feel he is currently running second to Bush for the nomination. He gave some very passionate speeches at the Iowa Freedom Summit a couple of months ago and CPAC a couple of weeks ago. These two speeches led to more support and a rise for him in the polls.

Senator Ted Cruz– Cruz became the first candidate to officially announce his run for the White House.  Cruz is a very conservative candidate. He is a senator from the state of Texas and many consider him the Tea Party candidate.  The Tea Party movement is an extremely right wing group. Many, who consider them too right wing don’t believe Cruz can generate enough support from the more moderate Republican establishment to even win even the Republic nomination let alone a national election.

Senator Marco Rubio- Marco Rubio is a senator from Florida. He is the son of Cuban immigrants and worked his way up from a poor working family to become a U.S. senator.  He reinforced these powerful American Dream story roots in a speech recently announcing his candidacy.  Many feel that Rubio could do well on a national stage due do his ability to gain Latino votes.  His quick rise to national prominence is often compared to Pres. Obama’s, which could be a blessing or a curse.

Senator Rand Paul- Rand Paul is a senator from Kentucky.  Paul is the son of former presidential candidate Ron Paul. He is a unique and atypical candidate. He is running as a conservative but many see him as libertarian.  His movement has gained a lot of support from younger Americans. Another interesting thing about Paul is that he is very antiwar unlike many of his Republican Counterparts.

Wild Cards: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Ohio Governor John Kasich

DEMOCRATS

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton– No shock here.  Many people believe Hillary Clinton is the front runner in the race for the Democratic nomination and has been for years.  She was viewed as the frontrunner as far back as 2008, when she first ran.  But she wound up losing the nomination to eventual president Barack Obama. Clinton was the first lady under former President Bill Clinton and was secretary of state under President Obama.

Vice President Joe Biden– Biden has been rumored to run. He is the current vice president of the United States. Biden has run unsuccessfully for the presidency before. Many feel Biden has little to no chance to win the nomination.

Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley- Martin O’Malley is the former Governor of Maryland and many feel he is the candidate with the best shot to defeat Hillary Clinton. O’Malley has served two terms as Governor in Maryland.

Virginia Senator Jim Webb- Webb is a former soldier who served in Vietnam and current senator from Virginia. Webb is seen as kind of a long shot to win the nomination. Webb is a more moderate liberal who feels that Obamacare needs to be reformed and that no one should impede on a person’s right to bear arms. Webb, however was very opposed to the Iraq war from the start and warned about the dangers.

With no opportunity for the sitting president to run again, this election is wide open.  Who will even run in it is a major question at this point.  Stay tuned.