Honestly, thinking back to the 2016 election feels like looking at a different planet. It was wild. Chaotic. Completely unpredictable. Most people remember the final showdown between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but the actual 2016 presidential candidates list was massive. It wasn't just two people; it was a crowded, loud house full of governors, senators, and one very famous businessman who upended everything we thought we knew about American politics.
You’ve probably heard the "greatest hits" versions of this story. But when you dig into the names that actually filed paperwork, it's a deep bench of political talent that mostly got steamrolled.
The Republican Side: A "Clown Car" or a Juggernaut?
The GOP field was huge. Seventeen major candidates. That is a lot of egos in one room. Early on, the "smart" money was on Jeb Bush. He had the name, the Florida governor track record, and a massive war chest. He basically looked like the inevitable nominee. Until he wasn't.
Donald Trump entered the race in June 2015, riding down a golden escalator. People laughed. They shouldn't have. He tapped into a populist anger that the rest of the 2016 presidential candidates list didn't see coming. While Ted Cruz tried to out-conservative him and Marco Rubio tried to out-charm him, Trump just dominated the airtime.
Remember the "Big Four" that lasted the longest?
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- Donald Trump: The eventual winner.
- Ted Cruz: The Texas Senator who won Iowa but couldn't seal the deal in Indiana.
- John Kasich: The Ohio Governor who stayed in until the bitter end, hoping for a contested convention.
- Marco Rubio: The "Establishment" hope who flamed out after losing his home state of Florida.
There were so many others. Ben Carson, the soft-spoken neurosurgeon who briefly led the polls. Chris Christie, who famously dismantled Rubio in a debate before dropping out. Carly Fiorina, the former HP CEO. Rand Paul, the libertarian-leaning senator. The list goes on: Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and even Rick Perry, who was the first to exit. It was a bloodbath of traditional political resumes.
The Democratic Race: Clinton vs. The Revolution
On the other side of the aisle, the Democratic 2016 presidential candidates list looked much smaller, but it was just as intense. Hillary Clinton was the clear frontrunner. She had the experience, the DNC backing, and the name recognition. It felt like her turn.
Then came Bernie Sanders.
A self-described democratic socialist from Vermont wasn't supposed to be a threat. But he was. He raised millions through small-dollar donations and won 23 primaries and caucuses. His "Political Revolution" forced Clinton to move left on everything from trade to healthcare.
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The other Democrats in the mix? They’re mostly footnotes now:
- Martin O’Malley: Former Governor of Maryland who struggled to get oxygen between the two giants.
- Jim Webb: Former Virginia Senator who seemed out of place in the modern party.
- Lincoln Chafee: Former Rhode Island Governor who notably campaigned on switching the U.S. to the metric system.
- Lawrence Lessig: A Harvard professor who ran on a single-issue platform of campaign finance reform.
The Third-Party Impact (It Was Bigger Than You Think)
People love to blame or credit third-party candidates for the 2016 outcome. Whether that’s fair is debatable, but their presence on the 2016 presidential candidates list was definitely felt.
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee and former Governor of New Mexico, pulled over 3% of the popular vote. That’s about 4.5 million people. In states like Michigan and Wisconsin, his vote count was larger than the margin between Trump and Clinton. Then you had Jill Stein for the Green Party, who took about 1%.
In the final weeks, Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer, ran as an independent specifically to give conservative "Never Trump" voters an option. He actually did quite well in Utah, grabbing over 20% of the vote there. It wasn't enough to win a state, but it showed how fractured the electorate really was.
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Why Does This List Still Matter?
Looking at these names isn't just a trip down memory lane. It explains why our politics looks the way it does now.
The 2016 primary was the moment the "Establishment" died. Voters on both sides were tired of the same old scripts. On the right, they chose a total outsider. On the left, they nearly chose a radical reformer. The candidates who tried to play by the 1990s rules—the Jeb Bushes and Martin O'Malleys of the world—simply didn't stand a chance.
The sheer variety of the 2016 presidential candidates list also highlights a massive shift in media. Trump didn't need traditional ads; he had Twitter and live-streamed rallies. Bernie didn't need big donors; he had a viral grassroots engine.
How to Use This Information Today
If you're researching this for a project or just trying to settle a debate, here’s how to look at it:
- Check the Margins: Don't just look at the winners. Look at how close the "Blue Wall" states (PA, MI, WI) were. The third-party votes often exceeded the victory margin.
- Study the Platforms: Many ideas that are mainstream now—like the $15 minimum wage or strict border wall funding—started as "radical" positions held by 2016 outliers.
- Recognize the Trends: 2016 proved that a large field usually benefits the person with the highest "floor" of support, not necessarily the person with the broadest appeal.
The 2016 election wasn't just a fluke. It was a total restructuring of what Americans expect from a presidential candidate. Whether you think that’s a good thing or a disaster, the list of people who tried to lead the country that year tells the real story of a nation in transition.
To get the most out of this data, try looking up the specific primary exit polls for your state. You'll often find that the "forgotten" candidates on the 2016 presidential candidates list actually held the keys to why the general election turned out the way it did.