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 The race for 2016 starts the day after election day. Both parties are going to be searching for their new leaders. A huge question for Democrats is, "What does Hillary Clinton do?" Based on that decision, the race could go many ways. 
 
 Besides Clinton, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is a popular but unknown figure in the party, is considering. 
 
 Joe Biden, who seems to be intimating he will run, is on the shortlist, but the question becomes whether that is too status quo. 
 
 Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, is on the list, and has tremendous support in the Latino community. 
 
 Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York would be a formidable figure if Clinton doesn't run. She is popular in a big state and a woman candidate is important, because 60 percent of Democratic primary voters are female. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been rumored to want to run and comes from a key state with access to party faithful and money. 
 
 There's also the chance of an unknown candidate who may emerge in the aftermath of this year's election. 
 
 For the GOP, the journey ahead is more perilous. They will be going through civil war after this Romney loss: the very conservatives vs. the establishment; the cultural conservatives vs. the economic conservatives; the populists vs. old school. And there is no clear leader ahead. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, would be formidable with his name and money. 
 
 Paul Ryan is a favorite among deficit conservatives and did well on the Romney campaign. 
 
 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is a rising star of party and they need Latino inroads. 
 
 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did well in Hurricane Sandy and is a tough talker. 
 
 Rick Santorum would consider a run, and has backing of social conservatives. 
 
 Mike Huckabee needs to make a decision and is a popular figure in the party. 
 
 Sarah Palin would be popular with some, though she has a tough road ahead. 
 
 Rick Perry may consider another run, though questions surround that. 
 
 And again, watch for an unknown candidate to emerge from this election. ||||| Even though the 2012 election was just decided, it's never too early to start looking ahead to the next presidential election. Both Democrats and Republicans have a slate of bright prospects on the horizon. Here's a look at the hottest names in 2016 politics right now. 
 
 [GALLERY: 100 Years in Presidential Races] 
 
 Democrats 
 
 Vice President Joe Biden: The vice president sent journalists atwitter on Tuesday when he said he'd likely have the opportunity to cast a vote for himself again in the future. Biden, a 30-plus-year Senate veteran who now has experience as the White House No. 2, has been coy about his 2016 intentions so far. In fact, later on Tuesday, he joked that he would be running for county councilman as if to dissuade some speculation about his future plans. But former vice presidents nearly always top the list of potential contenders, thanks to their top name recognition and obvious experience handling top issues. Biden is a well-respected pol among his peers, though often ridiculed by the media and public thanks to his frequent gaffes. 
 
 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Clinton is a unique American political figure, having successfully transitioned from an at-times unpopular first lady to New York Senator to widely popular secretary of state. She's managed to go from the top target of Republican mockery in the 1990s to one of the few politicians who engendered genuine respect from colleagues and pundits on both sides of the aisle. Her hard-nosed 2008 campaign against Barack Obama sharpened her retail politicking, but combined with her grueling travel schedule of the last four years, she's vowed to stay out of politics. Nonetheless, she's widely regarded as the top Democratic White House contender should she change her mind. She's already got one endorsement in the bag—her husband, former President Bill Clinton—who would love to hit the campaign trail again. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Despite the fact that the New York governor has tried to keep a very low profile despite holding a very high-profile job, insiders all believe Cuomo has designs on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He's already got executive branch experience, having served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Bill Clinton. As governor, he has championed both liberal social causes, legalizing same-sex marriage despite a Republican-controlled state Senate, and has showed fiscally conservative bona fides, resisting raising taxes and making cuts to balance the state budget. There's no doubt of Cuomo's loyalty to the Clintons, but should Hillary choose to take a pass, he'll likely step up to the plate. 
 
 [GALLERY: Superstorm Sandy Leaves Devastating Damage in New Jersey] 
 
 Republicans 
 
 Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan: Ryan, coming off the 2012 campaign, transitioned smoothly from one of 435 members of the House of Representatives to the bright lights of the presidential campaign. In addition to learning how to work crowds of thousands in dozens of different states, Ryan has also excelled on the debate stage. His performance against a fiery Joe Biden was widely praised, delivering no knockout blows but largely holding his own against his more experienced opponent. Ryan has made a name for himself in the House as a budget hawk, crafting the Republican alternative to Democratic proposals. Many said Mitt Romney erred in picking someone who had put his name on proposals to drastically alter the popular Medicare program, but the 2012 race proved voters weren't willing to punish that move at the ballot. 
 
 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been championed by conservatives since his 2010 election. The bombastic governor is known for his straight-talking style, whether he's disparaging reporters for what he thinks are stupid questions or nearly bullying public school teachers who challenge his budget-cutting proposals during his famous town hall meetings. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed his beloved Jersey Shore, Christie also burnished his bipartisan credentials by heaping praise on the federal response, particularly the leadership of President Barack Obama. Christie was an early endorser of Romney in 2012, but only after giving his own bid serious consideration. There's no doubt he'll be doing the same again in 2016. 
 
 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio: The charismatic Florida senator is the perfect example of what the Grand Ol' Party needs to widen its appeal among the American electorate. Just 41 years old and of Cuban descent, Rubio is more than just the face of a more diverse Republican Party. He awed crowds earlier in 2012, both at the Conservative Political Action Conference and the Republican National Convention, with his rags-to-riches tale of his childhood. His ability to intertwine his family's achievement of the American Dream with the conservative economic philosophy proves he is the most effective messenger of Republican ideals the party has seen in quite some time. Rubio also is obviously comfortable on stage and exudes a tangible charisma that can't be taught. 
 
 More News: 
 
 Rebekah Metzler is a political writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at rmetzler@usnews.com. ||||| It is far too early to handicap the 2016 Academy Awards, the 2016 World Series or the 2016 Summer Olympics. And yet, if you are a true political junkie, you may already be apoplectic that we aren’t yet knee-deep in discussions about the next presidential race. 
 
 While you have my pity if you are one of those people, it’s undeniably true that politicians being who and what they are, it is never too early to ponder about the next step of the political ladder. And for some, the White House is the only rung that really matters. 
 
 I remember in 2005 asking Robert Gibbs, then the press secretary for recently elected Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, whether, given the talk of a Draft Obama campaign, the freshman senator was mulling a presidential run in 2008. 
 
 Gibbs, whom I had known from his days at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, laughed at the absurdity of the question (I thought it silly, too, but wanted to make sure that I wasn’t missing something) and assured me that no, the just-elected senator had no intention of running, no matter what rumors or draft movements were floating around the Internet. 
 
 Obama understood where he ranked in the pecking order and was only starting to learn how things were done on Capitol Hill, Gibbs assured me, adding the obvious disclaimer that, of course, nobody knows what will happen down the road, but the freshman senator wasn’t considering anything as soon as 2008. 
 
 It wasn’t terribly long after that that Obama did start to look at a possible bid for the Democratic nomination, no matter how intimidating the probable candidacy of then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York looked. 
 
 I don’t believe, I should point out, that Gibbs had intentionally misled me. I believe that the freshman senator wasn’t seriously thinking about a presidential run when I asked. 
 
 But things can change quickly in Washington, D.C., and Democrats started whispering into the ear of the then-senator from Illinois that while 2008 wasn’t an ideal time for him to mount a presidential bid, it might turn out to be the best time. Who knows when another opportunity for a fresh face and political outsider will come along? 
 
 Open seats are difficult to resist, since they often seem enticingly winnable. That should make 2016 a tempting prize for presidential hopefuls on both sides of the aisle. 
 
 The Democratic side looks too easy to handicap, which probably means surprises are in store. 
 
 For different reasons, Clinton, now the outgoing secretary of State, and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. are in a tier all their own, though they aren’t in an identical place within that tier. 
 
 For many, Clinton, who started as the solid favorite for the Democratic nomination only to have Obama snatch it from her, is the prohibitive favorite for her party’s nomination if she wants it. At this point, we just don’t know if she will want it. Maybe the former first lady doesn’t even know yet. 
 
 Biden, who will turn 71 toward the end of this year, was mocked often during Obama’s first term, but the former Delaware senator’s role in negotiating a deal to avert the fiscal cliff and his lead role in trying to come up with gun legislation that could be both effective and enacted suddenly makes him look like a more serious contender in 2016, if he chooses to run. 
 
 After Clinton and Biden, the list becomes more speculative. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are seen as ambitious and interested. Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer probably should be on the list as well. 
 
 Cuomo’s oratorical skills and access to New York state’s Democratic dollars can’t be ignored, and while O’Malley didn’t exactly set the world on fire at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, his state has put up good numbers on education and his very liberal views could be appealing to Democrats. Schweitzer has a folksy quality that many like, though I have felt for years that he tries way too hard. 
 
 If Clinton takes a pass, another woman or two could well come forward (New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has received mention, but other names are sure to circulate, as well), and given the makeup of the Democratic Party, a serious minority contender certainly can’t be ruled out. 
 
 Compared with the early Democratic line, the list of possible GOP hopefuls looks about the size of the cast of “Les Misérables.” 
 
 Unsuccessful vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal surely have to be at or near the top of any list. 
 
 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who resisted efforts to draft him into last year’s race, sounds more likely to run in 2016, though he probably hurt himself more with rank-and-file Republicans with his comments praising Obama after Superstorm Sandy than most national political reporters now understand. 
 
 Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who ended up being the final anti-Mitt Romney alternative in the race for the 2012 GOP nomination, is acting as if he will be a candidate, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry has indicated that his seriously flawed run last year wouldn’t preclude him from making another try. (Perry, of course, has not announced whether he will seek re-election in 2014.) 
 
 Two high-profile governors over the past couple of years, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Virginia’s Bob McDonnell, probably should be on any list. McDonnell leaves office at the end of this year, so he will need a way to remain relevant after that. One senator who need not worry about that is Kentucky’s Rand Paul, who is widely seen as a future presidential contender, possibly as early as 2016. 
 
 Paul is heir to a movement led by his father, former Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, though the senator seems to want to broaden his appeal and work within the GOP rather than rely primarily on libertarians (and Libertarians). 
 
 Depending on what happens in 2014, a number of other Republican governors could also look at a run, possibly Michigan’s Rick Snyder or Ohio’s John R. Kasich, who has run for the White House before. 
 
 And the preliminary list obviously lacks any women, so New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (and possibly even South Carolina Gov. Nikki R. Haley, if she wins re-election next year) are likely to receive mention, though right now the GOP lacks a woman who is ready to be a top-tier presidential contender. 
 
 Of course, over the next two years, many politicians’ stocks will rise or fall, so some names on the lists will drop off and some not receiving mention now surely will be added. Obama can testify to how quickly things can change. 
 
 Stuart Rothenberg (@stupolitics) is editor of the Rothenberg Political Report (rothenbergpoliticalreport.com).
– And so it begins: Speculation about Election 2016 is already running rampant, mere hours after President Obama was re-elected. Some of the frontrunners for a presidential run next time around, courtesy of ABC News and US News & World Report: Hillary Clinton: Not surprisingly, she's at the forefront of many minds right now ("Hillary2016" was trending on Twitter early today, the Hill notes), and is widely considered the No. 1 Democrat contender. Of course, she also keeps insisting she won't run. Joe Biden: The world took notice when he said yesterday that he'd probably vote for himself again someday—but he later joked that he just meant he'd be running for county councilman in the future. Andrew Cuomo: The New York governor has access to lots of money, and his liberal stance on social issues combined with a more fiscally conservative stance could make him a formidable contender. But don't expect him to run if Hillary does; he served under Bill Clinton and is loyal to the family. Other possible Democrats: Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Paul Ryan: He fared well as Romney's running mate and got himself re-elected to boot, so clearly he's a top contender. Marco Rubio: The charismatic Florida senator could help the GOP increase its appeal to Latino voters. Chris Christie: His tough talk has made him quite popular, and he's seen as more of a bipartisan figure now that he's praised the federal response to Hurricane Sandy. Other possible Republicans: Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, plus pretty much anyone who ran in the primary this time around. But in the International Herald Tribune, Harvey Morris has just one piece of advice: "Take a breath, America! Give yourselves time to recover from what seemed the longest and certainly was the most expensive campaign in US political history before starting on the next one."