By Dayanara Manon –

There are two main parties in America today. One is the Democratic Party and the other is the Republican Party.

With all the news coverage and talking, arguing and even fighting, this has been a turbulent primary season. However, the two political parties have narrowed the choices down to just two for the Democrats and three for the Republicans.

According to Politico.com, as of March 24, 2016, Hillary Clinton has 1,712 delegates and Bernie Sanders has 1,011. There are also 158 uncommitted delegates. The number of delegates needed for the Democratic nomination is 2,382.

Here is an organized attempt to put these candidates in some kind of order, so that all the candidates can be represented for their beliefs, experience, and background.

The highest office in the land is up for the next election, and seeing who these candidates are and what they want for the country is a great first step to making an informed decision.

For the Democrats there are two candidates left, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders. It looked as though Hillary would run away with this election, but then Bernie put up a stronger than expected fight and now there is a race to see who will finally win the nomination for the Democratic Party.

MAPS BY REAL CLEAR POLITICS
According to Politico.com, as of March 24, 2016, Donald Trump has 736 delegates, Ted Cruz has 463, Marco Rubio has 171 and John Kasich has 143. The number of delegates needed for the Republican nomination is 1,237.

It looks as though Hillary will be able to lock it up before the final votes are cast, however, and she will be the likely candidate.

The Republicans had a very full field of seventeen candidates, and with the recent decision of Marco Rubio to suspend his campaign, there are still three left.

Donald Trump, a real estate businessman, Ted Cruz, current senator from Texas, and John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, are all competing for the nomination of the Republican Party.

All the candidates bring differing perspectives and experience to the office, but right now, each candidate must get the nomination of their respective parties.

Presented here is an easy and organized list of the candidates that are still working to secure their spot for the upcoming presidential election of 2016.

The Democrats

Hillary Clinton

Currently the leading contender for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton is no stranger to the White House, as First Lady to Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. She has also been senator from New York, and Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

Hillary has a legal background, graduating with a law degree from Yale Law School in 1973. She worked for the Arkansas public school system and on the board of directors of Wal-Mart, among other corporations. She lead the failed attempt to pass the Clinton Health Care Reform bill in 1993, but voted to pass Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act.

Hillary had a big advantage in the current primary season, with a large donor base, a large infrastructure in place, and also multiple political action committees like Ready for Hillary and Priorities USA. She is running on raising middle class incomes, establishing universal preschool, making college free, and expanding and improving the Affordable Care Act.

– By Dayanara Manon

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders is the oldest of the candidates running, being born in 1941, in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964. Currently a senator from Vermont, he was also the mayor of Burlington, member of the Senate Budget Committee, and chaired the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

He describes himself as a democratic socialist, which is popular in Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries. His key issues are campaign finance reform, corporate welfare, global warming, income inequality, LGBT rights, racial discrimination in the criminal justice system, parental leave, and universal healthcare.

Bernie is known for stating that he wants the top one percent to pay their fair share, to help pay for universal college.

– By Thania Rubio

The Republicans

Donald Trump

Perhaps the most widely known candidate in this campaign is real estate developer Donald Trump. Born in Queens and raised in New York City, Trump graduated from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is the chairman of “The Trump Organization” under which he has built casinos, golf courses, hotels, and other properties. He is famous for his reality show, “The Apprentice,” and also for his three marriages.

His candidacy is no less spectacular, opposing free trade agreements and especially illegal immigration. He has a non-interventionist view on foreign policy, but does favor a strong military and the destruction of ISIS.

– By Eduardo Hernandez

Ted Cruz

Born Rafael Edward Cruz, “Ted” is currently a senator from Texas. He graduated from Princeton University in 1992, and Harvard Law School, magna cum laude  in 1995.

Cruz worked at the Federal Trade Commission as director of the Office of Policy Planning, and was associate deputy attorney general at the United States Department of Justice. He was also the Solicitor General of Texas, and taught U.S. Supreme Court Litigation at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

Ted Cruz is the first Republican to announce his candidacy to run for president in the 2016 campaign.  He is running on a platform of originalism, that is, bringing American government back to the Constitution. He is conservative on social issues, apposing abortion, same-sex marriage, and the legalization of marijuana, but feels that these issues should be left to the individual states to decide.He is for gun rights, and other individual liberties, such as school choice.

– By Judith Hernandez

John Kasich

The current governor of Ohio, John Kasich, has also served nine terms as a representative in Congress, from 1983 to 2001. He served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee and six years as chairman of the House Budget Committee. While in Congress he helped to pass welfare reform and the Balanced Budget Act.

Born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, Kasich went to Ohio State University, joined Alpha Sigma Phi, earning a degree in political science in 1974. He made a name for himself when in his first term as state senator his first act was to refuse a pay raise. Since then he has refused many budget proposals that would raise taxes.

In this current campaign Kasich described himself as “the prince of light and hope,” forecasting a sunny optimistic tone. He is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, his record as governor of Ohio, creating jobs, and reinvigorating America’s prominence around the world.

– By Sarah Basauri