Five Likely 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidates

Deval Patrick, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Cuomo have a shot at winning the race.

President Barack Obama may or may not win his reelection bid in November. In either case, the Democrats need to identify the politicians most likely to win the 2016 presidential campaign. That’s because if Obama wins a second term, both parties will be scrambling to get their politicians on the ballot. If Obama loses and a Republican wins the presidency on Election Day, the Democrats will try their hardest to regain control four years from now. So who are the top contenders? Five rising stars make this list.

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Deval Patrick: After becoming the first African-American governor of Massachusetts in 2007, Patrick has focused on education, environmental issues, health care and services for veterans while in office—all causes likely to endear to liberals, should he run for office in 2016. Patrick also supports same-sex marriage and opposes the death penalty. The people of Massachusetts certainly approve of his political stances, re-electing him as governor in 2010.

Cory Booker: The mayor of Newark, N.J., has gained national attention since taking office in 2006. Booker’s key concerns have included crime reduction and prevention, the city budget, youth programs, affordable housing, education and bettering city services overall. Newark’s lower crime rate under Booker’s tenure will certainly be a selling point for him if he opts to run for presidential office in 2016. Booker wouldn’t be the first mayor in recent memory to make such a move. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani ran as a Republican presidential candidate in 2008.

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