2016 US presidential checklist

Updated: 2014-01-23 16:47

This is a year of auditioning, positioning, networking and just plain hard work for people who are considering running for president in 2016. You could see them stirring in 2013 as they plugged holes in resumes, took preliminary steps to build potential campaign organizations and made carefully calibrated moves to become better known by Americans in general and key constituencies in particular. Most but not all are ticking off items on what could be called the presidential prep checklist.

Potential contenders for the Republican and Democratic presidential nomination:

The Democratic Party:

Many Democrats already view Hillary Rodham Clinton as a quasi-incumbent, someone who could take the reins from President Barack Obama. The former secretary of state has made no decisions about her political future but has done little to dampen enthusiasm about another presidential campaign, traveling the country making speeches and preparing to release another book.

Joe Biden, 72, Democratic Party, US senator from Delaware and current vice president Hillary Clinton, 67, Democratic Party, former US Secretary of State and US Senator and the wife of former president Bill Clinton

Potential candidates like Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana have visited early voting states but remain largely unknown to most voters. Some liberals might encourage former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean to run again, but Clinton has the potential to unite the party.

Martin O'Malley, 51, Democratic Party, the 61st and current Governor of Maryland Andrew Cuomo, 57, Democratic Party, New York State Governor

The Republican Party:

Republicans have no clear front-runner and expect a crowded primary field that could include fresh-faced candidates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. For a party that typically backs established politicians, 2016 could be the most jumbled Republican White House campaign in a generation.

Marco Rubio, 43, Republican Party, US senator from Florida and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Bobby Jindal, 43, Republican Party, the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and the Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association

Chris Christie, 52, Republican Party, the 55th Governor of New Jersey

Rick Santorum, 56, Republican Party, US Senator representing Pennsylvania

Ted Cruz, 44, Republican Party, US Senator for the state of Texas

Jeb Bush, 61, Republican Party, the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and the second son of former president George H. W. Bush

Paul Ryan, 44, Republican Party, Wisconsin Congressman and Chairman of the House Budget Committee since 2011

Scott Walker, 47, Republican Party, the 45th Governor of Wisconsin

Rick Perry, 64, Republican Party, the 47th and current Governor of Texas

Rand Paul, 51, Republican Party, US Senator for Kentucky

	Many Democrats already view Hillary Rodham Clinton as a quasi-incumbent, someone who could take the reins from President Barack Obama. The former secretary of state has made no decisions about her political future but has done little to dampen enthusiasm about another presidential campaign, traveling the country making speeches and preparing to release another book.
Joe Biden, 72, Democratic Party, US senator from Delaware and current vice president		Hillary Clinton, 67, Democratic Party, former US Secretary of State and US Senator and the wife of former president Bill Clinton

	Potential candidates like Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana have visited early voting states but remain largely unknown to most voters. Some liberals might encourage former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean to run again, but Clinton has the potential to unite the party.
Martin O'Malley, 51, Democratic Party, the 61st and current Governor of Maryland		Andrew Cuomo, 57, Democratic Party, New York State Governor


Bobby Jindal, 43, Republican Party, the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and the Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association	Chris Christie, 52, Republican Party, the 55th Governor of New Jersey


Rick Santorum, 56, Republican Party, US Senator representing Pennsylvania	Ted Cruz, 44, Republican Party, US Senator for the state of Texas	Jeb Bush, 61, Republican Party, the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and the second son of former president George H. W. Bush


Paul Ryan, 44, Republican Party, Wisconsin Congressman and Chairman of the House Budget Committee since 2011	Scott Walker, 47, Republican Party, the 45th Governor of Wisconsin	Rick Perry, 64, Republican Party, the 47th and current Governor of Texas	Rand Paul, 51, Republican Party, US Senator for Kentucky