Hillary Rodham Clinton(01 of20)
Open Image ModalSusana Martinez (02 of20)
Open Image ModalSusana Martinez, a Republican, was elected in 2010, becoming the first female governor of New Mexico and first female Hispanic governor in the United States. Her name was also floated as a potential running mate to Mitt Romney in 2012, but she was ultimately passed over for the job. The GOP's poor showing among women and Latinos in this year's presidential election, however, could make Martinez a strong potential choice in 2016.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Elizabeth Warren(03 of20)
Open Image ModalKelly Ayotte(04 of20)
Open Image ModalKirsten Gillibrand(05 of20)
Open Image ModalCathy McMorris Rodgers(06 of20)
Open Image ModalKamala Harris(07 of20)
Open Image ModalKamala Harris, the 48-year-old Democratic attorney general of California, is the first African-American and first Indian-American to serve California in this capacity. She served as a co-chair for President Barack Obama's reelection campaign and received a high-profile speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte over the summer. Harris is perhaps best known for her successful efforts to secure a $26 billion mortgage settlement from the nation's biggest banks on behalf of homeowners in early 2012.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Condoleezza Rice(08 of20)
Open Image ModalThe first African-American woman to serve as secretary of state would certainly be a trailblazer if she ran for president and became the first female commander-in-chief. A Republican, Rice is an accomplished pianist, holds a Ph.D in political science and has served as provost of Stanford University. She served as President George W. Bush's first national security adviser before moving to the State Department. Though she has never run for elected office, she was a popular choice to be Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, due to her foreign policy credentials and ability to bridge the GOP's gap with women and non-white voters.Correction: An earlier version of this text misstated that Rice was the first African-American secretary of state. She was the first African-American woman to serve in that position.-- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Amy Klobuchar(09 of20)
Open Image ModalKlobuchar, a member of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, has been a U.S. senator from Minnesota since 2007, most recently cruising to reelection in November. She is currently serving on the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, among others. A graduate of Yale and the University of Chicago Law School, she served as the Hennepin County attorney from 1999 to 2007. She is pro-choice and supported President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. -- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Nikki Haley(10 of20)
Open Image ModalThe current Republican governor of South Carolina, Haley won her first term in 2010 after serving for five years as a member of the state house. She is only the second Indian-American to serve as governor. Endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement, Haley takes a hard line on immigration and is ardently anti-tax.Many have touted her as one of the new post-racial faces of the Republican Party in the South, and she would certainly appeal to the GOP's right-wing elements. Haley was a visible surrogate for Mitt Romney during the 2012 election and was even included on his short list for vice president, but she has not indicated one way or the other if she would put herself in the running for the GOP nomination in 2016.-- Sarah Bufkin (credit:AP)
Maggie Hassan(11 of20)
Open Image ModalMaggie Hassan, the Democratic governor-elect of New Hampshire, will become only the second woman to have held the state's highest office when she is sworn in next year. Hassan was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton over the summer and has been praised as a strong fundraiser, having broken the record for the most money raised by a first-time gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)
Mary Fallin(12 of20)
Open Image ModalA former lieutenant governor, member of Congress and current governor of Oklahoma, Republican Mary Fallin would bring solid conservative credentials to the GOP ticket. She won her gubernatorial race easily in 2010 and will reach her term limit if she runs and wins in 2014. A Fallin candidacy in 2016, however, would run the risk of bringing about comparisons to Sarah Palin's in 2008 -- as a deeply religious, female governor of a sparsely populated and reliably conservative state. She even received Palin's endorsement in 2010.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)
Jennifer Granholm(13 of20)
Open Image ModalSarah Palin(14 of20)
Open Image ModalThe former Republican governor of Alaska, Palin shot to fame after she was picked as Arizona Sen. John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate in 2008. Since then, she's become a Fox News contributor and a hero to many conservatives and Tea Party members. She also wrote the best-seller "Going Rogue: An American Life" in 2009 and has dabbled in reality television. Though she still has star-power in some circles, Democrats and many independents remain skeptical about Palin’s policy chops.-- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Michelle Obama(15 of20)
Open Image ModalDespite her astronomical public approval rating, Michelle Obama would be something of a surprise candidate in 2016, considering her husband's current role.You might expect to see the first lady as a surrogate for the future Democratic nominee though. Her popularity and skills as a campaigner will likely be called upon by whomever gets the nod.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Lisa Murkowski(16 of20)
Open Image ModalIn 2010, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski became the first successful write-in candidate for U.S. Senate since South Carolina's Strom Thurmond in 1954. She was first appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski, after having previously served in the Alaska House of Representatives. Her candidacy in 2016 would likely face headwinds from the GOP base, due to her relatively moderate positions on abortion and stem cell research. Additionally, she was one of just five Republicans to support the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed in 2009.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Christine Gregoire(17 of20)
Open Image ModalGregoire, formerly the Democratic governor of the state of Washington, is the second female to serve in that position. A lawyer, Gregoire was elected attorney general of her state in 1992 before being elected governor in 2004 in a razor-tight race against Republican Dino Rossi. She was reelected in 2008 and also served as the chairwoman of the National Governors Association for the 2010-11 term. One of her top accomplishments as governor included a plan to raise revenue to fund new transportation improvements to fix roads in Washington. She is a supporter of gay marriage, which was passed in her state in 2012.-- Daniel LippmanThis slide was first published before the 2012 elections and has been updated to reflect that Gregoire left office in January 2013. (credit:AP)
Michele Bachmann(18 of20)
Open Image ModalKristi Noem(19 of20)
Open Image ModalPam Bondi(20 of20)
Open Image ModalAs Florida's Republican attorney general, Pam Bondi was a leader in the failed effort to overturn President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act. At the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Bondi drew attention for her assertion that Obama has a "total disregard for our individual liberty." Given her status as a female public figure serving in a swing state, who has worked to achieve one of the GOP's core goals (repealing Obamacare), expect to hear Bondi's name more in the years to come.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)