So far, only a few are considered certain to run, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and outgoing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Others have signaled they may make a bid, but the field is far from defined, the Post said.
The most significant of prominent Republicans not tipping her hand is Sarah Palin, television commentator, Tea Party darling and the party's 2008 vice presidential nominee. But her travel schedule next month includes two stops to Iowa as part of her book tour.
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United States on December 17, 2012, will be chosen. Democratic President Barack Obama will be eligible to run for a second and final term during this election.
The 2012 presidential election will coincide with the United States Senate elections where 33 races will be occurring as well as the United States House of Representatives elections to elect the members for the 113th Congress. The election will also encompass eleven gubernatorial races as well as many state legislature races.
The following are individuals who have either formally announced that they are running for president in 2012 and have filed as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), or have formed an exploratory committee for a possible presidential run in 2012.
Republican Party
- Jon Greenspon, businessman of Montana, has filed as a Republican presidential candidate with the FEC.[11][12][13]
- Fred Karger, political consultant and gay activist of California, has formed an exploratory committee for a 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination.[12][14][15][16]
Green Party
- Activist and 2008 Socialist Party USA vice-presidential nominee Stewart Alexander of California is seeking the presidential nomination of the Green Party as well as that of the Socialist Party USA.[17][18]
Libertarian Party
- Former Libertarian National Committee Vice-Chair and the editor and co-founder of Liberty for All online magazine R. Lee Wrights of Texas formed an exploratory committee on July 4, 2010.[19][20][21]
Socialist Party USA
- Activist and 2008 Socialist Party USA vice-presidential nominee Stewart Alexander of California is seeking the presidential nomination of the Socialist Party USA as well as that of the Green Party.[17][18]
Independents
Main article: United States third party and independent presidential candidates, 2012#Independent_candidates
See also: Independent (politician)
- Former journalist, author, and perennial independent candidate Joe Schriner of Ohio[26][27]
Democratic
- President Barack Obama is eligible for a second term. Since the 22nd Amendment went into effect for the 1956 election, every incumbent President eligible for re-election has been nominated by his party, with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. The most recent credible primary challenge to a sitting Democratic President came from Senator Ted Kennedy against President Jimmy Carter during the 1980 United States presidential election. Responding to speculation that he might run against President Obama in the 2012 Democratic presidential primaries, Congressman Dennis Kucinich stated in August 2010 that he would not do so.[28] In a Associated Press-Knowledge Networks Poll taken in the fall of 2010, nearly half of Democrats indicated that they would like to see a primary challenge to the President's candidacy. [29]
- Former U.S. Senate nominee Alvin Greene of South Carolina [30][31][32]
- Political activist and Rent Is Too Damn High Party founder Jimmy McMillan of New York.[33][34]
Republican
None of the following has formally announced his or her candidacy for the Republican Party nomination. The following individuals are currently speculated about as possible candidates. It is common for popular individuals to wait to announce their candidacies until later in the election cycle.- Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona[35][36]
- Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi[37][38][39]
- Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton of Maryland[40][41]
- Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts[42][43]
- Former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida[44][45]
- Businessman and radio talk show host Herman Cain of Georgia[46][47]
- Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey[48][49]
- Senator John Cornyn of Texas[50][51]
- Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana [39][52][53][54]
- Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina[55][56]
- Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich of Georgia[39][57][58]
- Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York[59][60]
- Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas[39][61][62]
- Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana[39][63][64][65][66]
- Former Governor Gary E. Johnson of New Mexico[67][68]
- Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia[69][70]
- Former Governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin of Alaska[39][71][72]
- Representative Ron Paul of Texas [73][74] (Draft movement)
- Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota[39][75][76]
- Representative Mike Pence of Indiana[77][78]
- Governor Rick Perry of Texas[79][80]
- General David Petraeus of New York[81][82]
- Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts[39][83][84]
- Senator-Elect Marco Rubio of Florida[85] [86]
- Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin[87]
- Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania[88][89]
- Senator John Thune of South Dakota[39][90][91]
- Businessman Donald Trump of New York[92][93]
The election is only a year away so you can use this year to get educated on these candidates.
