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Lists about America's 58th quadrennial  presidential election, which culminated in the election of 45th U.S. President Donald Trump.

Snoop Dogg

These dream presidential debate moderators might not ever get the chance to prove how awesome they would be at moderating presidential debates. Still, these men and women have proved themselves as politically knowledgable and worthy of such a gig. The 2016 debates are going to be exciting no matter what, but these celebrities would make them far more entertaining. The Republican nominees and Democratic nominees in the 2016 presidential election would really be put to task by the people on this list.

Wouldn&#39;t you kill to see Jon Stewart as a 2016 election debate moderator? Oprah Winfrey? It would also be fun to see debate moderators be people who have played presidents on television like the politically active Martin Sheen and the political satirist and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. These debate moderators would inject much-needed humor into the discussion about the issues of 2016 and really take the candidates out of their comfort zone.

Upvote the famous people you think would be a great alternative for a presidential debate moderator or add a politically savvy, interesting person who you think would ask the tough questions and force the candidates for US president in 2016 to really get to the hearts of the issues.

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election.&nbsp;<a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

Politics

Hillary Clinton

A list of the 2016 presidential candidates, as ranked by savvy politicos. The electoral field is wide open and chock full of millionaires and politicians who have been active in the political spotlight for decades whether they're Democrats or <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/pick-your-2016-republican-candidate/stevo200?var=2&amp;utm_expid=16418821-119.rk_BoRtrRJWlKfF9iZbujQ.1&amp;utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CB8QFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ranker.com%252Flist%252Fpick-your-2016-republican-candidate%252Fstevo200%26ei%3D5m6MVZu2EIPIogSlwZNA%26usg%3DAFQjCNHJ261yZLkP2gRq8z33CMf_Pc3Hqg%26sig2%3DKCsp3SkhkiSU6SqUyjvkJw">Republicans</a>. From former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reality show star Donald Trump, the candidates have been in the public eye for years and years. Many of the potential 2016 presidential nominees are household names, but there are newcomers as well.The fresh blood in the race comes from the likes of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/pick-your-2016-republican-candidate/stevo200?var=2&amp;utm_expid=16418821-119.rk_BoRtrRJWlKfF9iZbujQ.1&amp;utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CB8QFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ranker.com%252Flist%252Fpick-your-2016-republican-candidate%252Fstevo200%26ei%3D5m6MVZu2EIPIogSlwZNA%26usg%3DAFQjCNHJ261yZLkP2gRq8z33CMf_Pc3Hqg%26sig2%3DKCsp3SkhkiSU6SqUyjvkJw">Republican candidates</a> Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, the latter of whom has <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/2016-presidential-candidates-controversies/ranker-news">caused a lot of controversy</a> and garnered a name for himself in recent years. Another surprising contender is former Socialist Bernie Sanders, who has been accused of running for more symbolic reasons than practical ones.From heavy favorites to dark horses, this list rounds up the 2016 presidential election candidates. Whomever ends up securing nominations, the candidates will definitely keep voters invested and entertained in the lead-up to the 2016 contest deciding the next Commander in Chief.Vote up your favorite would-be presidents below! And stay tuned as more politicians announce their presidential bids!&nbsp;

Funny

Are you one of the many who can relate to that moment every four years when the avalanche of political posts on your social media feed drives you to unfollow half of your friends until the election is over? If so, you're not alone. It happens to just about everyone. With that in mind, here is a collection of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/funny-voting-signs/nathandavidson?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">funny political signs</a> that should come as a breath of fresh air amongst the thousands of rants from your friends that are all of a sudden Washington insiders.Here you’ll find folks whose funny political rally signs advocate for things everyone can pretty much get behind. Rather than hate fueled signs accusing anyone who disagrees of inexcusable ignorance, you’ll find hilarious citizens who showed up to shatter stereotypes with a smile, infuse the crowd with a little much needed laughter, and even make a point or two with humor. These funny signs at political rallies are really just what the world needs. Laughter always makes the world a better place.&nbsp;

Popular Opinion

Tina Fey

Which celebrity would you actually vote for if they ran for President of the United States? If you can remember all the way back to Kanye West’s speech at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, you may remember that he closed by saying that he’ll be running for president in 2020. If he actually runs, it’s going to be highly entertaining (just think of the debates). But he shouldn’t be the only celebrity who takes a shot at becoming the most important person in the world. After Oprah's powerful Golden Globes speech in 2018, in which she slammed the mistreatment of women in the film industry, there has been a lot of buzz&nbsp;online of her launching a 2020 run as well. There are plenty of other actors, rappers, and just plain <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-with-schizophrenia/celebrity-lists?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous people</a> who could probably handle having their finger on the button. From Kim Kardashian to Stephen Colbert, and even Charlie Sheen, here’s a definitive list of other celebrities who should run for President of the United States.If you think about it, being President of the United States isn’t all that different from being a regular celebrity. People with no knowledge of what you really do are constantly criticizing you, you spend most of your time on a private airplane, and you have a giant posse. If you’re <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-who-were-bullied/celebrity-lists?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a famous person</a> (FP for short), you might as well run for president every four years. Worst case scenario, you actually win and have to figure out which member of your inner circle is going to be your chief of staff. Which celebs do you think make great presidential candidates?Upvote the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrities-you-dont-want-to-see-get-older/jacob-shelton?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">celebrities you</a> think should run for President of the United States. If you think there’s a celebrity who’s uniquely qualified to run the US of A, add them to the list and see how many votes they get.&nbsp;

Presidential nominees make a LOT of campaign promises when they're running for office. And they should! America wants to know what its political leaders have planned, should they be lucky enough to make it to the highest office in the land. When it comes to 2016 presidential race, one question on everybody’s mind is this: what will Hillary Clinton do if she's elected president?Throughout her 2016 campaign, there have been clues as to what she might do. But no matter what she promises, it's still hard to tell what a Hillary Clinton win will look like. Keep reading for a quick look at the what-ifs of a Hillary Clinton Presidency.Even though people think they have an idea of what would happen if Hillary Clinton is president, there’s really no way of knowing what the former senator and secretary of state might do. Thanks to Bernie Sanders, Clinton is having to lean further to the left than she might have liked in her 2016 campaign, but what a Presidential nominee says during their campaign and what they do during their time in office can differ wildly. Will she go easy on Wall Street, or swoop down like a mighty Valkyrie and strengthen regulations? Will new college students find that the burden of high tuition costs&nbsp;are eased? Or will they have to deal with more of the same?Keep reading for a not so in-depth look at what four to eight years with Hillary Clinton in office might look like, then vote up the actions you think Hillary Clinton will actually take if she wins the election.&nbsp;

Who is Mike Pence? The Indiana governor is the GOP Vice Presidential candidate and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/donald-trump-stories/jacob-shelton?ref=nodelyrel&amp;pos=6&amp;a=0&amp;ltype=n&amp;l=2143169&amp;g=1">Donald Trump</a>'s running mate in the 2016 Presidential election. If you're unaware of Pence's political legacy, you will find that it is riddled with various conservative&nbsp;successes and controversial stances.The social conservative's first step into political waters ended in what most would consider a disaster - he got caught spending campaign funds on decidedly non-campaign-related things and it cost him an election. But nearly a decade later, Pence earned his seat in the House, as well as a spot&nbsp;as chairman of the House Republican Conference. As of 2016, Pence was the Indiana state governor, a position he was preparing to defend in the upcoming November elections. However, now that he is running for vice president, Pence has been forced to remove himself from the&nbsp;gubernatorial election.Now standing alongside the&nbsp;Republican nominee, Pence is prepping to prove himself as a viable vice president. If you're wondering who Mike Pence is or what he stands for, there is definitely a lot to brush up on. Pence is a unique character in the political landscape. He's a supporter of the Tea Party movement, governs with an iron fist by the glory of God, and defines himself as a social conservative.Pence is a familiar face in the GOP, but unless you reside in Indiana, you might only remember him as the guy who signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into state law. Even so, the vice presidential candidate is known for a lot more than that. There are plenty of shocking Mike Pence facts and&nbsp;stories you likely haven't heard. And what better time than now to delve into the full Mike Pence biography, from his weird vendetta against a certain Disney movie to his exciting beliefs about evolution?

Larry Hogan

Even before the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) began in Cleveland, OH, there were dissenters in the Republican ranks, those who explicitly stated they wouldn&rsquo;t be attending. These RNC 2016 snubs oscillate wildly from ex-presidents to senators and former governors who&rsquo;ve all but given up on democracy. The list of establishment Republicans absent from the 2016 RNC is frankly shocking, as many of these people carried the GOP for the past 20 to 30 years.&nbsp;

Some Republicans not attending the convention have perfectly valid reasons for why they can&rsquo;t make it to Cleveland. The rest of the GOP absentees are up to something else - one seems to be setting up a second career as a comedian; another has dumpster fires to check out; many want to distance themselves as much as possible from Trump. Keep reading for a handy primer on establishment Republicans who snubbed Donald Trump at the 2016 RNC.

One of the biggest coups for GOP members boycotting the convention is the absence of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/members-of-the-bush-family/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the Bush family</a>. A Bush not attending the RNC is like Big Bird not showing up on Sesame Street, and makes the convention seem a bit like a ship without a captain. To make matters worse, many of the guest speakers scheduled to talk in Cleveland have nothing to do with politics - <a href="http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/scott-baio-republican-national-convention-watch-donald-trump-1201816774/" target="_blank">Scott Baio, for instance</a>.

Only time will tell whether this psychedelic media circus of an RNC proves to be an aberration of the new direction of the GOP. In the mean time, take a look at the most shocking no-shows for the 2016 Republican National Convention, and vote up those that most surprise you.&nbsp;

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election. <a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

2016 Election

Marco Rubio

2016 presidential candidates have to be many things for the American: forceful, compelling, intelligent, and well-spoken. But they also have to be likable people and people you could see yourself spending time with. Some 2016 candidates have come off as abrasive, arrogant, cold, or overly glib - while others seem too laid back, barely registering as awake.Whether you vote based on the economy, social issues, international relations, or just not liking the other party, likability is important come election season in the United States. So here's where you can show who you think is the most likable, pleasant, nice candidate. And if you think someone - republican or democrat - is the opposite of that, i.e., not likable, rude, or unpleasant, go ahead and vote them down. Together, we'll choose the President of Likability.

Bobby Jindal

It's really no surprise that these politicians are good at evading questions. But when it comes to the 2016 candidates for US President, which candidate is the best question dodger, vague answerer, and all around evader of the straight answer? Vote up the politicians you think are the best at dodging questions, be they from journalists or everyday citizens on the campaign trail. Which of these politicians running for president give the most&nbsp;&quot;political&quot; and vague answers? Leading up to the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/which-gop-candidate-will-make-the-government-smaller/mike-rothschild?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword"></a><a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/which-gop-candidate-will-make-the-government-smaller/mike-rothschild?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">2016 election</a>, these <a href="http://www.ranker.com/lists/career-politicians?ref=internalCrossLinking_tag"></a><a href="http://www.ranker.com/lists/career-politicians?ref=internalCrossLinking_tag">career politicians</a> have spent years governing or owning businesses, but it sure seems they also spent some time in &quot;training to evade questions&quot; school.Politicians evading questions provide some of the most frustrating and entertaining parts of the campaign season, especially when the debates come along. Democrats and Republicans all unite, when it comes to the politicians themselves, because their candidates are constantly dodging questions. Watching Hillary Clinton AND Jeb Bush try to talk their way out of controversies or hard-hitting news questions is something that voters of any party or political beliefs can expect to see a lot of in the 2016 presidential election. No matter who ends up becoming the 45th President of the United States, he or she will probably dodge the tough questions throughout their campaigns. Which candidate is a known question dodger? Which of these political superstars do you want a straight answer from, once and for all? Cast your votes below and head to the comments section to discuss the worst question dodges of the 2016 campaign.

With presidential campaign announcements popping up right and left, it becomes pretty difficult to keep track of everyone who wants to run for the 2016 United States presidential ticket. Luckily for us, these candidates come up with catchy campaign slogans that help us remember who exactly is running for president. The list of 2016 presidential&nbsp;campaign slogans may be a bit long, but at least they'll help you get an idea of the man or woman that you may be voting for.&nbsp; Some of these presidential hopefuls have what appear to be creative slogans that give you an idea about how they would want America to look if they were elected president, so you'll &nbsp;find the best 2016 presidential campaign slogans ranked by voters at the top of this list.&nbsp;From&nbsp;Donald Trump's &quot;Make America Great Again,&quot; to Bernie Sanders's &quot;A Political Revolution Is Coming,&quot; some of these 2016 campaign slogans will definitely have you thinking about what America would look like with Candidate X as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/full-cast-of-commander-in-chief-cast-list-for-the-show-commander-in-chief/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Commander in Chief</a>.Other candidates like to keep their&nbsp;2016 presidential campaign slogans simple. With so many candidates and campaign slogans to remember, we are thankful for the easy going nature of Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan,&nbsp;&quot;Hillary for America.&quot; And if you're a Republican guy or gal, Jeb Bush's simple &quot;Right to Rise&quot; will forever let you know who you're voting for. A few candidates have more than one slogan - in that case we selected the one most talked about when it comes to their campaign. &nbsp; This presidential campaign slogan list has the slogans of 17 of the candidates who are trying to become America's next president, so take a look and see the slogan behind the next man or woman who will be living at 1600&nbsp;Pennsylvania&nbsp;Avenue,&nbsp;Washington,&nbsp;D.C. and be sure to upvote the slogans you think are the most effective.

A candidate's considered their options, heard from their supporters, and has finally decided to run for president in 2016. What's next? Well, designing a campaign logo is definitely high on that list! A candidate's logo is one of the simplest, most effective ways in getting one's message out and creating brand recognition for the 2016 presidential election. This list compiles all the logos of each declared candidate!Furthermore, we've dug into comments that some designers have made, questioning the efficacy of each presidential candidate's design. Each logo plays into the personality of its candidate, shaped by who they are. Some are big and loud, others are simple and direct, and some... well, some just don't quite make a lot of sense to most peopl, but supporters may totally get what's going on! That's the interesting part of these logos - sometimes they're made for someone else!No matter what political stripe you are, there's plenty to enjoy with this list of 2016 presidential logos. Take a look at what the candidates have chosen and vote up the best and most effective campaign logos below!

Donald Trump

The 2016 US presidential election season is already underway - that year and a half long grueling process of American politics - but which are the least likable candidates, whose campaign trail seems like it'd be the worst to be a part of? Campaign trails are a unique animal. No two are alike, and each candidate and campaign staff has a different way of working with their potential constituents, press, and the American populous. This list has all the major candidates running for president in 2016, waiting for you to sound off on which of these politicians would be the most annoying to be on the campaign trail with.Whether having to listen to some high strung politician's views on a specific issue for the upteenth time, or dealing with a diva of a candidate's weird needs, or the campaign manager's ridiculous, annoying demands, sometimes campaign trails just aren't what you were prepared for. So take a look and vote on the last campaign you'd definitely not want to be stuck on!No matter if you're stuck with uptight politicians or having to deal with someone's far from popular opinions, there's bound to be someone on this list that you just absolutely can't stand! Take a look at these politicians and upvote those you think are the least likable.

If there’s one lesson from the presidential debates, it's that Donald Trump sniffles a lot. What’s up with that? Did he ever have the sniffles so bad on The Apprentice? Are there tapes of him saying that it’s okay to grab the Kleenex by the box as long as you have a cold? <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-asktrump-tweets-092115/mike-rothschild?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Donald Trump</a> sniffing during debates has become a mystery for the ages. Are his microphones consistently defective? Is he allergic to moderators?Donald Trump sniffling at debate memes have all but taken over the news cycle since his first debate with Hillary Clinton, and at the time it was vaguely unsettling. Now, though, Donald Trump's debate sniffing has become a welcome reprieve from the sewer pipe of news that is the election. But the American public still has to know why the GOP's main man can’t stop sniffling.

Piotr Blass

The 2016 US presidential election is still a year away, and even though the two primary candidates have probably already been chosen in a secret Illuminati cabal, a bunch of local yokals have come out of the woodwork to throw their hats into the ring as third party candidates. On this list, we’ve got culture jammers that wear boots on their heads, guys who can’t stop typing apostrophes, and your usual handful of mixed nuts. The men and women listed here may not be the best or the brightest but they’re certainly alternative candidates and they’re all running for President of the United States of America. If the jokers on this list can do anything, it’s inspire you to greatness. How can you not feel motivated when you see people like Pogo Mochello Allen-Reese and Sammy Murel Brown throwing their hat into the Presidential ring? We’re not saying that you should run for president (you probably shouldn’t) but you should at least be an informed voter, starting by getting to know the fringe third party candidates running in the 2016 electionWe’re not telling you who to vote for; if you want to write in Robert Milnes on Election Day, do it. You can’t make things any worse! Which one of these crazy and funny candidates do you think would paint the White House the brightest shade of crazy?? At the very least, vote for the best alternative 2016 candidates running for president here, or tell us in the comments which candidate best appeals to your insane streak.

Celebrity Facts

During the 2016 presidential elections, Donald Trump supporters in the celebrity world were small in number, but vocal in their advocacy for the businessman and outsized personality. And while he&#39;s gained few friends since becoming president, some celebs are still coming out in support of the Donald.&nbsp;

Many famous people for Donald Trump are well-known conservatives who jumped onto the bandwagon of the highest-polling GOP candidate. Others are former cast members of Trump&#39;s Celebrity Apprentice, making it known how much of a pleasure it was to work with Trump - and possibly looking to ingratiate themselves with their former &quot;boss.&quot; A few backers of Trump for president were looking for cabinet positions - and some&nbsp;actually got them. And of course, there&#39;s Charlie Sheen.

Here are the figures from the entertainment and sports worlds who have publicly made it known they support Trump.

Martin O'Malley

Immigration has emerged as one of the central themes of the 2016 election. As a public issue, it's generated a huge amount of controversy and media reactions. The 2016 candidates for president have a wide range of policies on immigration, with everything from some kind of amnesty to the building of an elaborate border fence or wall to mass deportation of illegal immigrants.Virtually every candidate has revealed at least some of their plan to deal with the issue of illegal immigration. Here's your chance to rank all of the immigration policies of the 2016 candidates from the ones you think are the best to the ones that are the absolute worst.

Twitter

We’ve all had horrendous, no good, toxic roommates. But none of us have had the distinct pleasure of living with one of the most reviled presidential candidates in recent history, Ted Cruz. Well, that is unless you’re Craig Mazin, screenwriter for such projects as the second and third Hangover films, and a bunch of other stuff that made all the money. He was Cruz’s roommate when they attended Princeton, and he genuinely seems worse for the wear. Recently, Mazin went on a Twitter tirade against Cruz, letting his thirty thousand plus followers into the nightmare that was living with the future Junior Senator from Texas. On this list we’ve collected the funniest burns dished out by Mazin at Cruz’s expense. As strange as Cruz comes off in interviews and the leaked footage from his promotional campaign video, he must have been a hundred times weirder during his first year in college. Admittedly, no one is cool when they’re 18 or 19, but Ted Cruz is so gross that we can’t help but cheer as Mazin dishes out delicious tweets at the Presidential hopeful’s expense. Whether Mazin is waxing philosophic about Cruz’s favorite ice cream flavor, or simply mentioning how punchable the Republican candidate’s face is, his way with words is sure to pull a belly laugh out of you. Get the aloe vera, because this is going to burn. Leave us a comment about your favorite Ted Cruz burn, and then tell us about how you think your roommate is clandestinely eating your peanut butter from the fridge.

Awkward

If the 2016 presidential candidates are good at one thing, it’s being derailed by everything from inanimate objects, to protesters, and even other candidates while they try to get their point across. For viewers, the 2016 election cycle has been one of the most exciting, if not harrowing, elections in recent memory. Most people would blame all the excitement on Donald Trump, who’s managed to maintain his stranglehold on the conservative party despite his unpopularity with its leaders, but he’s not the only candidate who’s decided to let their freak flag fly. Either because of, or in spite of Trump’s WWE attitude towards the campaign cycle, there seems to have been more mudslinging and name calling in 2016 than in any other year. In fact, during some of the larger GOP debates it felt like Chris Christie was going to crack a steel chair over Marco Rubio before cutting to a promo about how he’s the champion of New Jersey. This list compiles some of the most cringeworthy moments of the 2016 candidates losing control of the conversation. Some of these videos of candidates letting their campaigns completely spiral out of control are so hard to watch that you’re going to need to take a break and maybe watch kitten cuddle party to break up the nonstop train wreck footage that’s assembled before you. And if you’re worried that this mess isn't being bipartisan enough, don’t worry, there's plenty of footage of Hillary and Bernie losing their cool and completely shutting down, too.

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Could Trump win the general election? What about Ben Carson? Or Marco Rubio? Which Republican candidate actually has the best chance to win the election in 2016? First, they need to emerge out of a crowded field that's so big it can't fit on one stage. Then they'd have to rally the GOP base around them. Only then will a Republican who could win the election emerge.Many of the Republican candidates in the 2016 election are polling so poorly that they only show up on poll results with an asterisk. Others are getting only one or two percent of the projected vote. If these candidates are barely alive in their party's primary election, can they win the general election if nominated? Here's your chance to pick the Republican candidates for the 2016 election who could potentially be victorious. Vote up the Republicans with the best chance to win, and vote down those who would have little to no chance against their Democratic opposition.

Republicans Who Could Win the 2016 General Election, Ranked

Republican Candidates Who Could Actually Win the General Election

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Chris Christie

Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, former federal prosecutor, and political commentator who served as the 55th Governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. 
Christie was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in Livingston, New Jersey. After graduating in 1984 from the University of Delaware, he earned a J.D. at Seton Hall University School of Law. A Republican, Christie was elected county freeholder (legislator) for Morris County, New Jersey, serving from 1995 to 1998. By 2002, he had campaigned for Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush; the latter appointed him U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, a position he held from 2002 to 2008.
Christie won the 2009 Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey and defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in the general election. In his first term, he was credited with cutting spending, capping property tax growth, and engaging in recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy. He was re-elected by a wide margin in 2013. During his second term as governor, Christie's standing was damaged by the Fort Lee lane closure scandal. After that time, he ranked among the least popular governors in the United States. 
Christie chaired the Republican Governors Association during the 2014 election cycle. On June 30, 2015, he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. He suspended his candidacy on February 10, 2016. Later, he endorsed eventual winner Donald Trump and was named head of Trump's transition planning team. Christie left office in 2018 at the conclusion of his second term as Governor of New Jersey.

Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American politician serving as a Republican, and also the senior United States Senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. Since 2019, he has been the Chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
A native of Central, South Carolina, Graham received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1981. Most of his active duty within his span of military service happened from 1982 to 1988 when he served with the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the United States Air Force, as a defense attorney and then with the Air Force's chief prosecutor in Europe based in West Germany. Later his entire service in the Air Force Reserve ran concurrent with his congressional career. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal in 2014.
Graham worked as a lawyer in private practice before serving one term in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995. His congressional career began when he was elected to the first of four terms to the United States House of Representatives, representing South Carolina's 3rd congressional district from 1995 to 2003. In 2002, Graham won the U.S. Senate election in South Carolina after eight-term Republican incumbent Strom Thurmond announced his retirement. He won a second term in 2008 and a third term in 2014.
A retired U.S. Air Force Reserve colonel, Graham is known in the Senate for his advocacy of a strong national defense and aggressive interventionist foreign policy. He is also known for his willingness to be bipartisan and work with Democrats on issues like campaign finance reform, a ban on waterboarding, immigration reform, and judicial nominees. He has criticized the Tea Party movement, arguing for a more inclusive Republican Party.Graham ran his first and only presidential campaign between June and December 2015, dropping out before the 2016 Republican primaries began. He was an outspoken critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump's 2016 candidacy and repeatedly declared he did not support Trump; in particular, he took issue with Trump's comments on Graham's close friend, Senator John McCain. Since March 2017, Graham has reversed his stance on Trump and has become a staunch ally of the president. His reversal caught both parties by surprise and sparked much media attention.

Mike Huckabee

Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician and Christian minister who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the United States Republican presidential primaries in both 2008 and 2016.
Beginning in 2008, Huckabee hosted the Fox News Channel talk show Huckabee, ending the show in January 2015 in order to explore a potential bid for the presidency. From April 2012 through December 2013, he hosted a daily radio program, The Mike Huckabee Show, on weekday afternoons for Cumulus Media Networks. Huckabee is the author of several best-selling books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister noted for his evangelical views, a musician, and a public speaker. He was also a political commentator on The Huckabee Report.In the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, Huckabee won the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses and finished second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won, behind John McCain and Mitt Romney. Huckabee ran again for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. He suspended his campaign on February 1, 2016 and became one of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served 2 years as President Trump's White House Press Secretary.

John Kasich

John Richard Kasich Jr. ( KAY-sik; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician, author, and television news personality who served as the 69th Governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. Elected governor in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, Kasich is a member of the Republican Party.A native of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, Kasich has lived much of his adulthood in Ohio, specifically the state capital of Columbus. Kasich served nine terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 12th congressional district from 1983 to 2001. His tenure in the House included 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee and six years as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He was a key figure in the passage of both 1996 welfare reform legislation and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
Kasich worked for Fox News, hosting Heartland with John Kasich from 2001 to 2007 and was a fill-in host for The O'Reilly Factor. He also worked as an investment banker, serving as managing director of the Lehman Brothers office in Columbus, Ohio.In the 2010 Ohio gubernatorial election, Kasich defeated Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. He was reelected in 2014, defeating Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald by 30 percentage points.
Kasich unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for President in 2000 and 2016, receiving one electoral vote from a faithless elector in Texas in 2016. Kasich refused to support the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and did not attend the 2016 Republican National Convention, which was held in his state; he reported that he wrote-in the name of U.S. Senator and former 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain.Kasich was term-limited and could not seek a third term in 2018; he was succeeded by Attorney General and former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine. In 2019, Kasich joined CNN as a senior political commentator.

George Pataki

George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 53rd Governor of New York (1995–2006). An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York and went on to be elected to the State Assembly and the State Senate. In 1994, Pataki ran for Governor of New York against three-term incumbent Mario Cuomo, defeating him by a margin of more than three points as part of the Republican Revolution of 1994. Pataki would himself be elected to three consecutive terms, and was the third Republican Governor of New York elected since 1923 (the other two were Govs. Thomas E. Dewey and Nelson Rockefeller). As of 2019, Pataki is the most recent Republican to hold any statewide office in New York.
In early 2015, Pataki began exploring a candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2016; he announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015. On December 29, 2015, Pataki ended his campaign before the Republican presidential primaries had begun.

Jeb Bush

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and a younger brother of former President George W. Bush. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and attended the University of Texas, where he earned a degree in Latin American affairs. In 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development, and in 1986 became Florida's Secretary of Commerce until 1988.  At that time, he joined his father's successful campaign for the Presidency.
In 1994, Bush made his first run for office, losing the election for governor by less than two percentage points to the incumbent Lawton Chiles. Bush ran again in 1998 and defeated Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay with 55 percent of the vote. He ran for reelection in 2002, defeating Bill McBride and winning with 56 percent, to become Florida's first two-term Republican governor. During his eight years as governor, Bush pushed an ambitious Everglades conservation plan, supported caps for medical malpractice litigation, launched a Medicaid privatization pilot program, and instituted reforms to the state education system, including the issuance of vouchers and promoting school choice.
Bush announced his presidential candidacy on June 15, 2015. He suspended his campaign on February 20, 2016, shortly after the South Carolina primary and endorsed Senator Ted Cruz on March 23, 2016.

Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Florida. A Republican, he previously served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Rubio unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2016, winning presidential primaries in the State of Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Rubio is a Cuban American from Miami, Florida. After serving as a city commissioner for West Miami in the 1990s, he was elected to represent the 111th district in the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. Subsequently, he was elected speaker of the Florida House, and was Speaker for two years beginning in November 2006. Upon leaving the Florida legislature in 2008 due to term limits, Rubio taught at Florida International University.
Rubio successfully ran for the United States Senate in 2010. In April 2015, he announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate, instead choosing to run for president. He suspended his campaign for president on March 15, 2016, after losing the Florida Republican primary to the eventual winner of the presidential election, Donald Trump. He then decided to run for re-election to the Senate, winning a second term later that year.

Jim Gilmore

James Stuart Gilmore III (born October 6, 1949) is an American politician, diplomat and former attorney who was the 68th Governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002 and Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001.
A native Virginian, Gilmore graduated as a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, and then served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence agent. He was later elected to public office as a county prosecutor, as the Attorney General of Virginia, and as Governor of Virginia.
Gilmore was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2008 and 2016 elections.In November 2018, Gilmore was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the U.S. Representative to United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a position which carries the rank of ambassador. His nomination was confirmed by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on May 23, 2019. Gilmore was sworn in on June 25, 2019 and presented his credentials to OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger on July 2, 2019.

Rick Santorum

Richard John Santorum (born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and was the Senate's third-ranking Republican from 2001 to 2007. Santorum ran for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, finishing second to Mitt Romney.
Santorum was elected to the United States Senate from Pennsylvania in 1994. He served two terms until losing his 2006 reelection bid. A Roman Catholic, Santorum is a social conservative who opposes abortion and same-sex marriage and embraced a cultural warrior image during his Senate tenure. While serving as a senator, Santorum authored the Santorum Amendment, which would have promoted the teaching of intelligent design. He was a leading sponsor of the 2003 federal law known as the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
In the years following his departure from the Senate, Santorum worked as a consultant, private practice lawyer, and news contributor. He ran for the Republican nomination in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Before suspending his campaign on April 10, 2012, Santorum exceeded expectations by winning 11 primaries and caucuses and receiving nearly four million votes, making him the runner-up to eventual nominee Mitt Romney. Santorum ran for president again in 2016, but ended his campaign in February 2016 after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses. In January 2017, he became a CNN senior political commentator.

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. Jindal previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and as the vice chair of the Republican Governors Association.In 1996, Jindal was appointed secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. In 1999, he was appointed president of the University of Louisiana System. At 28, Jindal became the youngest person to hold the position. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Jindal as principal adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.Jindal first ran for governor of Louisiana in 2003, but narrowly lost in the run-off election to Democratic candidate Kathleen Blanco. In 2004, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the second Indian American in Congress. He was re-elected in 2006. Jindal ran for governor again in the 2007 election and won. Jindal was re-elected in 2011 in a landslide, winning more than 65 percent of the vote. He was the first Indian American governor, and the only one until South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was elected in 2010.On June 24, 2015, Jindal announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election. He suspended his campaign in November 2015, subsequently announcing his support for Marco Rubio, who suspended his campaign on March 15, 2016. He finished his term as governor in January 2016.

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality.

Carly Fiorina

Cara Carleton "Carly" Fiorina (formerly Sneed; born September 6, 1954) is an American businesswoman and political figure, known primarily for her tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP). She subsequently served as Chair of the philanthropic organization Good360.
Fiorina ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 2010 and the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
As Chief Executive Officer  of HP from 1999 to 2005, Fiorina was the first woman to lead a Top-20 company as ranked by Fortune Magazine. In 2002, Fiorina oversaw what was then the largest technology sector merger in history, in which HP acquired rival personal computer manufacturer, Compaq. The transaction made HP the world's largest seller of personal computers. HP subsequently laid off 30,000 U.S. employees in order to save 80,000 jobs. The company then grew to 150,000. In February 2005, she was forced to resign as CEO and Chair following a boardroom disagreement.Fiorina was an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in California, but lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer. Fiorina was a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, and was for seven days the vice-presidential running mate of Ted Cruz until he suspended his campaign, setting the record for shortest vice presidential candidacy in modern U.S. history.

Ted Cruz

Rafael Edward Cruz (born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator for Texas since 2013. He was the runner-up for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 election.
Cruz holds degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. From 1999 to 2003, he held various government positions, serving as Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice, and as a Domestic Policy Advisor to George W. Bush during Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008, having been appointed by Texas Attorney General and later Governor Greg Abbott. He was the longest-serving solicitor general in Texas history and the first Hispanic American to serve in that capacity. From 2004 to 2009, Cruz was an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where he taught U.S. Supreme Court litigation.
In 2012, Cruz ran for and won the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison. He is the first Hispanic American to serve as a U.S. Senator from Texas. In 2016, Cruz ran for President of the United States, winning Republican contests in 12 states before withdrawing from the race. He was reelected to the Senate in 2018, defeating Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke by a slim margin of 50.9% to 48.3% in the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. Along with Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio, Cruz is one of three current U.S. Senators of Cuban descent.

Rand Paul

Randal Howard Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American politician and physician serving as the junior United States Senator from Kentucky since 2011, alongside Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He is the son of former U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas who was a presidential candidate in 1988, 2008 and 2012.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul attended Baylor University and is a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine. Paul began practicing ophthalmology in 1993 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and established his own clinic in December 2007. In 2010, Paul entered politics by running for a seat in the United States Senate. A Republican, Paul has described himself as a Constitutional conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement. He has advocated for a balanced budget amendment, term limits, and privacy reform.
Paul was a candidate for the Republican nomination at the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He suspended his campaign in February 2016, after finishing in fifth place out of 12 Republican candidates at the Iowa caucuses.

Could Trump win the general election? What about Ben Carson? Or Marco Rubio? Which Republican candidate actually has the best chance to win the election in ...