The Democratic Contenders

Barack Obama

Obama is the current U.S. President and preferred candidate for re-election next fall. He was born in Hawaii. Obama spent time as a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois. He went on to earn a law degree and eventually became a Senator representing Illinois. In 2008, he became the first African-American President of the United States. He will most likely be nominated to run for a second term in office against the Republican nominee in 2012.

 

The Republican Contenders

Michele Bachmann

A Congresswoman from Minnesota, Bachmann was once a lawyer for the Internal Revenue Service. This is the government’s tax collecting agency. She served as a Minnesota State Senator from 2001-2007 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a popular leader in the Tea Party Movement.

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich served in the House of Representatives from 1979-1999. He acted as the Republican Whip, a congressional leader who helps coordinate the Republican Party’s legislation. When the Republican Party became a majority, he became the Speaker of the House, or leader of the House of Representatives, from 1995-1999.

Jon Huntsman, Jr.

Throughout his political career, Huntsman’s specialty has been foreign relations. He was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Singapore in 1992, and later to China. He was elected Governor of Utah from 2005-2009.

Gary E. Johnson

Johnson served as Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003. His engineering firm, Big J. Enterprises, made him a millionaire before he began his political career. Outside of politics, Johnson has competed in several triathlons and even climbed Mt. Everest.

Ron Paul

Paul was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976. He is a popular figure who first ran for President in 1988 with the Libertarian Party, a political party that believes in limited government and economic freedom.

Rick Perry

A native of Texas, Perry was elected to the Texas State Legislature in 1985. He later served as Lieutenant Governor of Texas under George W. Bush. When Bush became President of the United States in 2000, Perry became Governor of Texas.

Buddy Roemer

Before joining politics, Buddy Roemer first found success as a businessman. He became Governor of Louisiana in 1981 after running as a Democrat. He switched to the Republican Party in 1991. After his service as Governor, he worked again in the business world before announcing his bid for the 2012 Presidency.

Mitt Romney

Romney was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was elected Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. His campaign has partly focused on his skills as a successful business leader. Romney has founded and headed several companies, and is credited with saving the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which had been suffering from money difficulties.
 

Rick Santorum

Santorum has had a long career in politics. He served in the House of Representatives for Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995, and then as a Senator of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. Before his work in Congress, Santorum practiced law, representing high-profile clients like the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).