Although only one candidate has officially declared for the 2016 presidential election,the field of contenders is already fairly well-defined. Bush, Walker and Paul’s runs are presumed imminent, as others emerge from the woodwork, such as Carly Fiorina stating that there is a “higher than 90 percent chance” she’ll run. Take a look at thecurrent field of prospective and declared candidates, and you’ll notice an interestingtheme emerge:
The theme? Youth. With multiple candidates under 50, the age distribution of thecandidate pool represents an aberration from recent cycles. We have Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, and Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida, both just 43 years old. Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas and only officially declared candidate as of today, is 44. Scott Walker, Wisconsin Governor, has a few years on the others, but is still only 47. This follows a 2012 election season that saw no major contendersunder 50 (only Thaddeus McCotter, age 49, whose campaign spanned a mere 11 weeks).
For greater historical context, consider that just two Presidents — Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy — were younger than 45 at inauguration. Reference the visual below, created by FindTheBest, for all presidents sorted from youngest to oldest.
So, what does this rejuvenation (notably, of the Republicans) suggest? A promising field of politicians who hold 30+ years of future potential? While it is certainly not inconceivable that a younger candidate could clinch the Republican nomination, perhaps it is more likely that a young gun will be added to the ticket as a promising, invigorating VP. Either way, it certainly promises to be a compelling election season.
