Anyone hoping for a breather from politics once this whole Brexit thing is over is in for a shock, as the race for the 2020 US presidential election is already hotting up.
A number of Democrats have thrown their hat in the ring in the hope of ousting President Donald Trump but so far, no Republican has dared announce a rival bid.
Here are some of the more notable faces announced so far…
NAME: Elizabeth Warren – has announced she has formed an exploratory committee to run for president in 2020, a preliminary step in announcing a full bid.
AGE: 69
PARTY: Democrat
NOTABLE FOR: Exchanging stinging insults with President Trump.
Warren and Trump clashed frequently through the 2016 presidential campaign and Trump has cast aspersions on her claim to Native American ancestry, repeatedly referring to her as “Pocahontas”.
Policy-wise, she has been a strong voice in the US Senate on financial issues and a self-described defender of the ordinary American against powerful interests.
CAN SHE WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 20/1, an outside chance
NAME: Kamala Harris
AGE: 54
PARTY: Democrat
NOTABLE FOR: Harris portrays herself as a fighter for justice, decency and equality in a video distributed by her campaign as she announced her bid.
“They’re the values we as Americans cherish, and they’re all on the line now,” Harris says in the video.
“The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values.”
On ABC, she cited her years as a prosecutor in asserting: “My entire career has been focused on keeping people safe. It is probably one of the things that motivates me more than anything else.”
CAN SHE WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 11/2, possibly Trump’s main competition
NAME: Cory Booker
AGE: 49
PARTY: Democrat
NOTABLE FOR: A vocal critic of Trump, particularly on immigration and climate change.
In a video announcing his bid, he said: “The history of our nation is defined by collective action.
“By interwoven destinies of slaves and abolitionists; of those born here and those who chose America as home; of those who took up arms to defend our country, and those who linked arms to challenge and change it.”
CAN HE WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 40/1, probably not
NAME: Pete Buttigieg – has launched exploratory committee
AGE: 37
PARTY: Democrat
NOTABLE FOR: Being the first openly gay nominee of a major US political party.
CAN THEY WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 100/1, almost certainly not
NAME: Tulsi Gabbard
AGE: 37
PARTY: Democrats
NOTABLE FOR: She is a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Kuwait with the Hawaii National Guard and was an early supporter of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during the last presidential campaign.
But she has also been accused of being a “mouthpiece” in Washington for the Syrian dictator President Bashar al-Assad.
CAN THEY WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 28/1, a longshot
NAME: Howard Schultz – is publicly considering a bid
AGE: 65
PARTY: Independent
NOTABLE FOR: Being the CEO of Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks.
CAN HE WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 66/1, so a long shot but this is America so anything is possible
NAME: Donald Trump
AGE: 72
PARTY: Republican
NOTABLE FOR: Being Donald Trump
CAN HE WIN?
Sky Bet odds – 2/1, so yes, yes he can