WASHINGTON: Iowans head to the polls on Feb 1 to cast the first votes in the process that determines who will represent the Democratic and Republican parties in November’s US presidential election.

One of the following men or women, listed here according to their current standing in national polls, will be the White House’s next occupant.

A trio of Democrats

HILLARY CLINTON, age 68: She has served as first lady, US senator from New York, and Barack Obama’s first secretary of state after she lost the 2008 nomination battle. Her poll numbers tumbled last year amid distrust over an email scandal.

She remains the frontrunner nationally but risks losing Iowa and New Hampshire.

BERNIE SANDERS, 74: The independent US senator from Vermont is a self-described democratic socialist urging a “political revolution” in America.

He draws large crowds to rallies, inspiring leftist Democrats with his reproach of billionaires and demands for Wall Street reform. He has tightened the gap with frontrunner Clinton.

MARTIN O’MALLEY, 53: The ex-Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor has spent decades in public service but has yet to make a mark nationally.

He has called for new blood in US politics. With little progress in 2016 polls, he may be laying groundwork for another run in 2020 or beyond.

A dozen Republicans

DONALD TRUMP, 69: The braggadocious billionaire real estate tycoon has also been a brusque TV personality.

His self-described politically incorrect campaign resonates with millions, but he infuriated establishment Republicans and triggered a global firestorm when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

TED CRUZ, 45: A US senator whose father fled Cuba, Cruz — the flag-bearer of arch-conservative causes — is a former Texas solicitor general.

While serving in Washington, he is seen as an outsider and routinely breaks with party leadership. Cruz faces questions about presidential eligibility because he was born in Canada, but insists he is a natural-born US citizen.

MARCO RUBIO, 44: Another Cuban-American senator, Florida-born Rubio speaks fluent Spanish and aims to head the next generation of conservative leadership.

He advocates muscular foreign policy and US military reengagement in the world, and has focused on drawing sharp contrasts with Clinton.

BEN CARSON, 64: Like Trump, this retired neurosurgeon has never held public office. The soft-spoken conservative preaches tolerance and compassion, but has made controversial comments about gays and slavery. He surged last year but came down to political Earth amid scrutiny of his personal narrative. He is the only African-American in the race.

JEB BUSH, 62: Florida’s ex-governor, the son and brother to two presidents, was the early favourite. He is the Republican most open to immigration reform and has raised vast sums of money, but he is struggling to regain voter interest.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, 53: The blunt-talking governor of mainly Democratic New Jersey is a formal federal prosecutor who says his experience prosecuting terror suspects is crucial in today’s dangerous world. Republican rivals blast him as too liberal.

JOHN KASICH, 63: The governor of Ohio is a fiscal conservative and social moderate running a politically crucial state. He has national security experience from his years in Congress.

CARLY FIORINA, 61: Hewlett-Packard’s former CEO spent millions from her personal fortune in an unsuccessful 2010 Senate bid. The only Republican woman candidate vaulted into the top tier in September but slid in subsequent months.

RAND PAUL, 53: The first-term US senator from Kentucky represents the party’s libertarian wing. A certified ophthalmologist, he advocates criminal justice reform and opposes raising the debt ceiling.

MIKE HUCKABEE, 60: The former Arkansas governor, preacher and television host is making his second presidential run. The defender of religious liberty hopes to capitalise on his rural evangelical following.

RICK SANTORUM, 57: The ex-senator from Pennsylvania, who espouses family values, is a favourite among the religious right. He narrowly won Iowa in 2012, but it will take a miracle for him to repeat.

JIM GILMORE, 66: A former governor of Virginia and one-time chairman of the Republican National Committee, he is rarely seen on the campaign trail and has not been a factor in the presidential race.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015