The 2024 US presidential election is, politically speaking, just around the corner.
President Joe Biden is running again with the backing of his party establishment, leaving him in a strong position to ward off rival Democrats who might believe they're better placed than the 80-year-old incumbent to take on an energised Republican Party.
On the other side, Donald Trump's early announcement and loyal following place him at the forefront of the GOP list, but there's a host of potential rivals, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seeking to break the former president's stranglehold on the party and usher forth a new era of conservative politics.
So will America see new names on the ballot come next November? Or will Mr Biden and Mr Trump go another round?
Here's who we know is running, who we expect to run, and who might surprise us in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election.
Democrats: Declared candidates
Confirmed: Joe Biden
Background: President of the United States, former vice-president of the United States, former senator for Delaware
Home state: Delaware
Age on election day 2024: 81
The incumbent president has formally declared his intention to seek a second term, accompanied by Vice-President Kamala Harris as his running mate once again.
The official announcement will change the equation for the field of potential nominees, many of whom have made it clear they won't run if he's running.
"If he runs, it's over," former speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the State of the Union.
A senator for 36 years before becoming Barack Obama's vice-president in 2009, Mr Biden has so far had mixed success when it comes to implementing his agenda.
However, he's fallen short when it comes to protecting voting rights and following through on other major campaign promises, such as raising the minimum wage.
Mr Biden's age — and how he navigates it as an issue — will also play a significant factor in whether or not he can pull off a successful re-election campaign.
Already the oldest president in history at 80, he'll be 82 by the beginning of his second term, and will have to convince voters he's fit to serve up until he leaves the White House at 86.
Confirmed: Marianne Williamson
Background: Self-help author, spiritual and progressive activist
Home state: California/Texas
Age on election day 2024: 72
Self-help author Marianne Williamson was the first notable Democrat to challenge Mr Biden for the party's nod in 2024.
Once known as "Oprah's spiritual adviser" due to her frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, Ms Williamson has backed progressive causes throughout her career, including anti-poverty campaigns, support for HIV/AIDS charities and the establishment of a US Department of Peace.
But she's perhaps most well-known for her unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in 2020, during which she initially polled high enough to be included in the first round of primary debates.
Her campaign was short-lived, but still made headlines due to her overtly spiritual approach to politics, as she told voters she would "harness love for political purposes" and take on Donald Trump's "dark psychic force".
Ms Williamson says she's challenging Joe Biden because she believes she can "contribute to harnessing the collective sensibility that I feel is our greatest hope at this time".
Confirmed: Robert F Kennedy Jr
Background: Environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist
Home state: New York/Massachusetts
Age on election day 2024: 70
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the son of popular former senator and 1968 presidential candidate Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, has filed paperwork to contest the 2024 primary as a Democrat.
An environmental lawyer by trade, Mr Kennedy is more widely known as an outspoken anti-vaccine campaigner, dating back to well before the COVID-19 pandemic.
His anti-vaccine activism has elicited strong rebukes from other members of the Kennedy family, as well as from his wife Cheryl Hines, an actress who plays Cheryl on Curb Your Enthusiasm — although she is supporting his presidential run.
Mr Kennedy has previously said his top priority for a 2024 campaign would be "to end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power that has ruined our economy, shattered the middle class, polluted our landscapes and waters, poisoned our children, and robbed us of our values and freedoms".
Democrats: Waiting in the wings
Unlikely: Gavin Newsom
Background: Governor of California, former lieutenant-governor of California, former mayor of San Francisco
Home state: California
Age on election day 2024: 57
As the governor of California and a former mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom has earned a reputation as a slick, ambitious politician, able and willing to change tactics as circumstances require.
Despite a history of personal scandals and a number of recent crises in the Golden State, he's currently riding high in state polls and handily beat an effort to recall him in 2021.
Mr Newsom has spoken about running for president in the future, but he says that won't be in 2024 — going so far as to say there's "no one better to lead" than Mr Biden.
A day is a year in politics, though, and his recent eagerness to weigh in on national issues — not to mention his ads attacking potential Republican candidates in their home-state newspapers — points to someone who is aware he should at least keep the door open.
Fun fact: He used to be married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, who’s now engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
Unlikely: Pete Buttigieg
Background: Secretary of transportation, former mayor of South Bend, former US Navy Reserve lieutenant
Home state: Indiana
Age on election day 2024: 42
A former mayor of South Bend, Indiana (population 100,000), Pete Buttigieg ran an unexpectedly strong (and just plain unexpected) race for the presidency in 2020 before being chosen to become Mr Biden's transportation secretary.
Since then, he's been a popular presence on the campaign trail for Democrats in the midterms, and an effective surrogate for Mr Biden on morning TV and cable news.
While politically talented, experience nevertheless remains a question for Mr Buttigieg, who'll be just 42 by the time the election rolls around — albeit with four years in Mr Biden's cabinet since last time around.
If elected president, Mr Buttigieg would be the first openly gay person to hold the office, as well as the youngest president ever elected.
Don't expect him to challenge his boss. But if Mr Biden were to bow out, the 2020 Iowa caucus winner could consider another run.
Unlikely: Kamala Harris
Background: Vice-President of the United States, former senator for California, former California attorney-general
Home state: California
Age on election day 2024: 60
Former prosecutor and California senator Kamala Harris was a popular, not to mention history-making, choice when she was picked as Mr Biden's running mate in 2020.
Her selection followed an at-times bruising Democratic primary, during which she took on Mr Biden directly over his historical opposition to bussing — a policy on which he's since softened his stance.
Ms Harris would have been in a strong position to seek the endorsement of Mr Biden and his allies had he decided against running for re-election, with her position going a long way to making her the presumptive nominee despite flagging approval ratings.
But the president's decision to run again — and to feature Ms Harris prominently in his announcement video — has put to rest any notion of a 2024 Democratic campaign with Ms Harris at the top of the ticket.
Unlikely: JB Pritzker
Background: Governor of Illinois, former businessman, former political staffer
Home state: Illinois
Age on election day 2024: 59
A member of the wealthy Pritzker family, which owns the Hyatt hotel chain, billionaire Jay Robert "JB" Pritzker was a longtime Democratic donor before winning the party's nomination for Illinois governor in 2018.
While a billionaire investor might seem an unlikely ally of progressives, the 58-year-old governor has won over the party's left with a string of policy wins in his state, having legalised recreational cannabis, enacted a $US15 minimum wage, codified access to abortions after the overturning of Roe v Wade and enacted a ban on assault weapons.
He's also open about his intent to run for higher office one day, and hasn't hesitated to spend his own money to achieve political goals.
Mr Pritzker was spoken about for some time as the Democrats' "break glass" option for 2024 if Joe Biden decided not to run. But he's now strongly endorsed Mr Biden, launching a spirited defence of the incumbent's decision to seek re-election and taking up a position on the president's campaign advisory board.
"I don't think there's anybody that's serious that's actually considered running against Joe Biden because he's done such a great job," he said.
Unlikely: Gretchen Whitmer
Background: Governor of Michigan, former state senator, former state representative
Home state: Michigan
Age on election day 2024: 53
Outside of being the target of an ill-fated kidnapping attempt, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer isn't too widely known beyond the borders of the United States.
But as a female, second-term governor with a liberal record who is nevertheless popular in a swing state — and who just soundly defeated a Trump-backed opponent — Ms Whitmer could be seen as someone who ticks all the boxes required for a candidate to mount a solid primary campaign.
She's managed to pass a slate of left-leaning legislation despite rock-solid Republican opposition, and is beginning to see her national spotlight grow as she pioneers the use of Gen-Z-friendly platforms like TikTok and Twitch to reach younger voters.
The only issue is she's flatly ruled out a run in 2024, even if she's keeping her options open in the future.
Unlikely: Stacey Abrams
Background: Former Georgia state minority leader, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, voting rights activist
Home state: Georgia
Age on election day 2024: 50
Stacey Abrams makes a point of being open about her ambitions, telling interviewers she has a responsibility to show young people of colour they can aim for the top.
She first came to national prominence after outperforming expectations in a tough governor's race in 2018, and campaigned to be included on Mr Biden's list of potential running mates in 2020.
The massive voter organisation effort she put together for her own campaign was credited with helping turn Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential and senate elections, as well as helping senator Raphael Warnock fend off a challenge from college football superstar Herschel Walker in 2022.
However, the Georgia governorship has remained just out of reach for Ms Abrams, and leapfrogging it to announce a White House bid could open her to attacks claiming she's not electable — a difficulty she is already facing as she mulls a third run for the governor's mansion.
Ms Abrams has made it clear she won't run for president if Mr Biden is running. But if something causes him to shift course, an outsider bid would be very on-brand.
Unlikely: Bernie Sanders
Background: Senator for Vermont, former congressman, former mayor of Burlington
Home state: Vermont/New York
Age on election day 2024: 83
A proud democratic socialist in a country where politicians tend to spurn that label, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders became a global household name in 2016 on the back of his insurgent campaign challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
He ran again in 2020, when he posed a real threat to Joe Biden's chances before a number of other contenders dropped out to rally around the former vice-president.
Senator Sanders' status as the party's most prominent progressive meant his name was always in the conversation for 2024 despite his age (he's one year older than Mr Biden) and friendship with the former senator for Delaware.
However, a 2024 Sanders campaign is no longer on the cards, with the independent senator endorsing the president on the day of Mr Biden's announcement and ruling out his own run.
Unlikely: Amy Klobuchar
Background: Senator for Minnesota, former county attorney, former corporate lawyer
Home state: Minnesota
Age on election day 2024: 64
Long-time Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar is due for re-election in 2024, and every indication is that the folksy Midwesterner plans to contest her seat again.
A former corporate lawyer, her centrist 2020 presidential campaign made her personally unpopular with the left wing of the Democratic base.
Since then, however, she’s earned praise for her performance during the midterms and continued to push progressive legislation such as support for voting rights and her big-tech-focused antitrust bill.
In 2022, she defended Democratic congressional candidates against a charge from Gavin Newsom that the party was being "crushed on narrative", firing back that she was out there "in the middle of it" in swing-state races while he sat comfortably in liberal California.
The exchange had all the hallmarks of a primary debate — or possibly a preview of one from the future.
There's very little chance Senator Klobuchar will challenge Mr Biden. But if things were to change, an open field might be too good an opportunity to pass up.
Republicans: Declared candidates
Confirmed: Donald Trump
Background: Former president of the United States, real estate mogul, former reality TV host
Home state: New York/Florida
Age on election day 2024: 78
Former president, reality TV star and real estate mogul Donald Trump is seeking to return to the White House after being defeated in 2020 by Joe Biden after a single term.
His four years in office were marked by a return to a more protectionist trade policy, a shunning of traditional diplomacy in favour of personal relationships with world leaders, and the installation of a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
They also saw a hollowing out of the public service, an abandonment of the norms around presidential ethics and transparency, and a reliance on "acting" officials to fill cabinet-level positions for long periods of time.
After refusing to accept the result of the 2020 election, culminating in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, Mr Trump became the first president in history to be impeached twice, although he was acquitted both times in the senate.
He has since been indicted on criminal charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels and has been found liable by a jury for sexually abusing advice columnist E Jean Carroll in the mid-90s — and that's just the beginning of the legal issues piling up against him.
Mr Trump's presidency alienated many Americans but energised and transformed the Republican base, making him the frontrunner for the GOP once again. But he doesn't quite have the nomination in the bag.
A number of challengers are lining up to take him on, seeking to make the case that the Republicans need a nominee who can take on Mr Biden without bringing a tonne of baggage.
Confirmed: Ron DeSantis
Background: Governor of Florida, former congressman, former military lawyer
Home state: Florida
Age on election day 2024: 46
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis staked out his position as Mr Trump's biggest political threat in 2022 with a huge electoral win at home, trouncing Democrat Charlie Crist by 15 points and further reddening what was once considered a swing state.
His White House run, however, got off to a rocky start, beginning with a campaign announcement hosted on Elon Musk's Twitter that was marred by technical glitches, robbing him of vital momentum needed to catch up with Mr Trump's substantial polling lead.
Mr DeSantis is still, for the time being, the go-to candidate for the subset of hardcore conservatives ready to move on from Mr Trump, having achieved right-wing policy wins in Florida while also showing a flair for the kind of culture-war skirmishes that animate the GOP base (think inquiries into trans health services and legal battles with "woke" Disney).
Supporters say he picks his battles better than the former president and doesn't have Mr Trump's baggage, essentially offering the same policies and fighting spirit in a younger, less abrasive package — the elusive "Trumpism without Trump".
The governor has taken to travelling the country and playing up his successes by calling Florida a "blueprint for the nation", and has begun to test the waters with increasingly direct jabs at Mr Trump.
"Governing is not about entertaining. Governing is not about building a brand or talking on social media and virtue signalling," he said at an event in Iowa in May.
The question remains how he'll fare in a head-to-head contest with the 45th president, who has the air of incumbency and doesn't play by the rules when it comes to taking on political rivals.
Confirmed: Nikki Haley
Background: Former ambassador to the United Nations, former South Carolina governor
Home state: South Carolina
Age on election day 2024: 52
A former South Carolina governor and Mr Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced her run for the presidency via a video on Twitter emphasising her determination to fight back against bullies.
The daughter of Indian immigrants, she became her home state's first female and first non-white governor in 2010 at the age of 38.
Ms Haley kept her head down during the Trump years and exited the administration in 2018 with her reputation relatively intact, but there's no indication her time working for the 45th president won her the favour of any of his supporters.
The fact that she had previously said she wouldn't run against her former boss in 2024 is also unlikely to help in that respect.
On the issues, Ms Haley is a frequent critic of China, a supporter of the death penalty, and has attacked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis from the right on social issues.
But it's how she navigates the waters of her relationship with Mr Trump that could well determine the success, or otherwise, of her campaign.
Confirmed: Tim Scott
Background: Senator for South Carolina, former congressman, former state representative, insurance agent
Home state: South Carolina
Age on election day 2024: 59
South Carolina senator Tim Scott has formally launched his candidacy for president, ending a months-long testing of the waters that included a "listening tour" with stops in Iowa and the establishment of an exploratory committee in April.
Popular with his constituents and colleagues, Senator Scott's early rhetoric has been different from that of his fellow Republican candidates, telling supporters they can choose "victimhood or victory", and emphasising that the party's nominee should be able to display "compassion for people who don't agree with us".
As the GOP’s only black senator, as well as a self-made businessman who grew up poor in a single-parent household, he already has a significant national profile with a compelling story to boot.
He's backing it up with significant spending in early primary states, launching some of the largest ad buys yet in Iowa and New Hampshire to run across both broadcast and digital platforms.
He enters the race with more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate in US history, due to a leftover $US22 million ($33 million) from his 2022 Senate campaign.
Confirmed: Asa Hutchinson
Background: Former governor of Arkansas, former DEA administrator
Home state: Arkansas
Age on election day 2024: 73
Asa Hutchinson says he is running for president because he is convinced Americans want leaders that "appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts".
He served two terms as Arkansas's governor from 2015 to 2023, winning his second term in a landslide with more than 65 per cent of the vote.
Prior to that he spent time in the George W Bush administration, firstly as the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and secondly handling border security in the then fledgling Department of Homeland Security.
Mr Hutchinson left the governor's office with a conservative record, but has shown a willingness to split with his party on occasional issues in the past — including vetoing a bill that would have banned gender-affirming medication for minors (a veto his party later overrode), and praising the Biden administration's "depoliticising" of the government's COVID response.
More recently, he's said Donald Trump should drop out of the race following his criminal indictment in the state of New York.
Confirmed: Vivek Ramaswamy
Background: Biotech entrepreneur, author, political activist
Home state: New York/Ohio
Age on election day 2024: 39
Dubbed the "CEO of Anti-Woke, Inc." by The New Yorker, Vivek Ramaswamy announced his candidacy for president on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show ahead of the 2023 CPAC conference.
Already a successful businessman in the asset management and biotechnology sectors, Mr Ramaswamy has forged a second career as a conservative activist and author since 2020, focusing on opposing ESG (environmental social and governance) investing, as well as the broader social justice and diversity movements.
The son of Indian immigrants, his platform includes shutting down the FBI and the federal Department of Education, "declaring independence" from China, and using military drones to eliminate Mexican drug cartels.
At 39 on election day, he would also be the youngest president ever elected.
Somewhat relatedly, Mr Ramaswamy moonlighted as a rapper named "Da Vek" while studying at Harvard, telling student newspaper The Crimson his life's theme song was Eminem's Lose Yourself.
Confirmed: Larry Elder
Background: Conservative radio host, California gubernatorial candidate, lawyer
Home state: California
Age on election day 2024: 72
Talk radio personality Larry Elder is a relative political novice, despite having built himself into a national brand in conservative media since he first began hosting The Larry Elder Show in 1993.
The former attorney ran his first political campaign in 2021, when he took on Gavin Newsom in a recall election effort that the blue-state Democrat won easily.
Mr Elder is, like many others on this list, a staunch right-winger — opposing minimum wage laws, environmental legislation and the Black Lives Matter movement, and supporting school choice programs and physical barriers along the border with Mexico.
He announced his candidacy for the presidency on Tucker Carlson's Fox News program, telling the TV host his decision was in part motivated by the fact he's the only member of his family who hasn't served in the military.
Confirmed: Perry Johnson
Background: Businessman, author, Michigan gubernatorial candidate
Home state: Michigan
Age on election day 2024: 76
A businessman known primarily for his work in quality control, Perry Johnson announced his 2024 presidential bid during conservative gala CPAC, where he came in third in a straw poll behind former president Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
His previous attempt to run for office didn't go so smoothly, having been disqualified from Michigan's 2022 governor's race once fraudulent signatures were found on his nominating petition.
An avid bridge player, Mr Johnson lists among his accomplishments five National Bridge Championships and an eighth-place finish in the 1998 World Championship in Lille, France.
Confirmed: Corey Stapleton
Background: Former Montana secretary of state, former state senator, former naval officer
Home state: Montana
Age on election day 2024: 57
Former Montana secretary of state Corey Stapleton was the first notable Republican to announce his 2024 candidacy, getting in early on November 11, 2022, four days ahead of Donald Trump.
It was a pivot for Mr Stapleton, who the previous year had announced his intention to pursue a country music career after losing Republican primaries for Montana's governorship and at-large House seat.
The former naval officer's campaign has failed to generate much national press beyond the initial announcement.
Republicans: Waiting in the wings
Expected: Mike Pence
Background: Former vice-president of the United States, former governor of Indiana, former congressman
Home state: Indiana
Age on election day 2024: 65
After four years serving as a quiet, faithful vice-president to Mr Trump, Mike Pence adhered to convention and oversaw the certification of the 2020 US election result, ensuring Mr Trump's presidency came to an end and avoiding a constitutional crisis.
He has strongly defended his actions in doing so, but has otherwise largely avoided criticising his former boss, suggesting he's keen to avoid alienating Mr Trump's base in advance of a likely White House run.
"I'm persuaded that no one could have defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 except Donald Trump, but I think we live in a different time and it calls for different leadership," he told the Associated Press.
On paper, a former VP with evangelical bona fides should be a strong candidate in a GOP primary, with high name recognition and the ability to put together a broad conservative coalition.
In reality, hardcore Trump supporters could be heard chanting "Hang Mike Pence" during the Capitol riot, and even his supporters acknowledge his political instincts are lacking.
His position on abortion — he wants to make it not just illegal but "unthinkable" in all circumstances — is popular with large parts of his party but would be a tough sell in a general election, with a post-Roe America still grappling with the consequences of the Supreme Court's decision.
Expected: John Bolton
Background: Former national security adviser, former ambassador to the United Nations, former Fox News commentator
Home state: Maryland
Age on election day 2024: 75
A well-known foreign policy hawk, John Bolton cut his teeth during the Reagan administration before being appointed as an undersecretary of state and then ambassador to the United Nations by George W Bush.
A committed advocate for the war in Iraq, he was later an uncomfortable presence in the Trump White House during his year-long tenure as national security adviser, and has spoken openly of his alarm at Mr Trump's haphazard approach to foreign policy in the years since.
He says he's likely to challenge the former president, calling Mr Trump's 2024 campaign "poison" for the GOP.
A debate clash between Mr Trump and Mr Bolton would be something to witness. Mr Trump could barely hide his disdain for Mr Bolton when they were working together, and reportedly told advisers "the moustache is a problem" when considering him for a cabinet post early in his presidency.
Expected: Chris Christie
Background: Registered lobbyist, former governor of New Jersey, former US attorney
Home state: New Jersey
Age on election day: 62
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie was once considered the poster boy for loud, aggressive Republicans until Donald Trump came along.
Ideologically a moderate, Mr Christie was happy for his governorship to be defined by heated verbal arguments with voters and political clashes with the Obama administration.
But it ended in scandal after he was implicated in the "Bridgegate" saga, in which several of his appointees or staff were found to have purposefully closed lanes to cause traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey, likely as retribution against a Democratic mayor.
Mr Christie last ran for president in 2016, making some waves in early debates before bowing out after a lacklustre showing in New Hampshire, where he campaigned heavily. He then briefly led the Trump transition team before being pushed out by Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Now a registered lobbyist, he has become openly critical of Donald Trump as both a person and a candidate, declaring there's no way the former president can win the White House in 2024.
He's expected to announce his candidacy in New Hampshire on Tuesday, CNN reports.
Possible: Glenn Youngkin
Background: Governor of Virginia, Carlyle Group CEO
Home state: Virginia
Age on election day: 57
A former CEO of the Carlyle Group investment firm, where he spent 25 years before entering politics, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin is beginning to act more and more like a presidential candidate.
A speech he gave at California's Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in early May soon became the basis for a campaign-style social media ad, complete with stock footage of sunrises, fighter jets and Mr Reagan himself.
When asked on the day of his speech if he was considering running for president, Mr Youngkin replied "No … I'm going to be working in Virginia this year."
Aides were quick to point out that didn't mean he wouldn't consider entering the race in 2024.
Mr Youngkin achieved a minor political feat when he won the 2021 gubernatorial race, the first time a Republican had won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.
He did so by pulling off what many Republicans have tried and failed to do since 2016 — appealing to Donald Trump's base and securing his endorsement, while simultaneously keeping enough political distance between them to avoid turning off independents in the light blue state.
It's a playbook he won't be able to rely on should he end up facing off against Mr Trump on a debate stage next year.
Possible: Liz Cheney
Background: Professor of politics, former congresswoman, former diplomat
Home state: Wyoming
Age on election day 2024: 58
Former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, the daughter of George W Bush vice-president Dick Cheney, was once considered to have serious street cred in the Republican Party.
That changed in the wake of the January 6 attack, after which she became one of the few Republicans to genuinely stand up to Mr Trump, even serving on the commission to investigate the attack and calling out her colleagues for their unwillingness to confront the former president.
Her unwillingness to "go along with President Trump's lie" cost her her seat in Congress.
Ms Cheney has spoken openly about challenging Mr Trump since then, and has built up a considerable campaign war chest. But it's unclear whether she genuinely believes she can win the Republican nomination, or if a challenge would be purely a matter of principle.
She says she'll make a decision soon. In the meantime, she's taken on a professorship at the University of Virginia as she mulls things over.
Possible: Chris Sununu
Background: Governor of New Hampshire, former executive councillor, former environmental engineer
Home state: New Hampshire
Age on election day 2024: 50
As the son of a former George HW Bush chief of staff and the brother of a former senator, it's fair to say New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu has politics in his blood.
A former environmental engineer, Mr Sununu spent six years serving on his state's gubernatorial advisory body, the New Hampshire Executive Council, before launching his own bid for office in 2016.
He's now serving his fourth two-year term as governor, and is openly speaking about a presidential run.
Mr Sununu is a New England Republican through and through, potentially making him an outlier in today's Republican Party (he's pro choice, for example).
It also provides him with his characteristic bluntness, which, much like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, he's wielded against Donald Trump as much as he has against Democrats.
He's called Mr Trump "f***ing crazy" and a "three-time loser", and says he's worried about down-ballot races if the former president wins the GOP nomination again.
He's been similarly blunt when asked about his own presidential ambitions, telling one interviewer "I think I could do the job".
Possible: Greg Abbott
Background: Governor of Texas, former Texas attorney-general, former judge
Home state: Texas
Age on election day 2024: 66
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a staunch gun rights supporter, is popular within the Republican Party, and in recent years the Texas governorship has been a springboard to higher office on the conservative side of politics.
Along with Mr DeSantis, Mr Abbott has used his powerful position to attack the Biden White House, going so far as to send buses of migrants to Democratic-leaning cities to make a political point about illegal immigration.
But the third-term governor believes there's still plenty of time to evaluate a 2024 run, noting Mr Trump's candidacy (he's a staunch ally of the former president) and the potentially crowded field.
Asked the night before the beginning of his third term if he was "ruling out" a White House bid, he said it would be more accurate to say it's not something he's "ruling in right now".
Possible: Kristi Noem
Background: Governor of South Dakota, former congresswoman, farmer
Home state: South Dakota
Age on election day 2024: 52
South Dakota governor Kristi Noem is increasingly becoming part of the conversation when it comes to the 2024 Republican field.
The 51-year-old second-term governor connects well with her party's base, telling the story of how she had to leave college early as a young woman after her father died in a farm accident.
Ms Noem earned a reputation as a Trump loyalist during his time in office, and has been spoken about as a possible running mate.
However, she has stood up to the former president on occasion, notably calling out his trade war with China for "devastating" her state's economy — not to mention denying him a spot on Mount Rushmore.
When asked in early 2023 if she had considered running for president, she said she’s "not convinced she needs to".
Withdrawn: Mike Pompeo
Background: Former secretary of state, former CIA director, former congressman
Home state: Kansas/California
Age on election day 2024: 60
A former congressman who made a name for himself as a vocal critic of the Obama administration, Mike Pompeo was chosen to serve as Trump's CIA director in 2017 and then his secretary of state.
He remained faithful to Mr Trump right up until the end of his presidency, but soon afterwards began to gently criticise his former boss, saying America needs a leader who is "looking forward, not staring in the rear-view mirror claiming victimhood".
It's clear that Mr Pompeo, for a while, saw himself as someone who could be that leader.
Through 2022 and early 2023 he reached out to contacts in early primary states, released a book filled with broadsides against potential rival candidates, and openly floated the possibility of making a White House run.
However, eventually he announced he wouldn't present himself as a candidate in 2024, stating the time simply wasn't right for him and his family — but that "there remain many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary".
Credits:
- Pictures: AP, Reuters, Supplied
- Design: Ben Spraggon and Georgina Piper
- Development: Colin Gourlay and Andrew Kesper
