--- title: Top 10 Politicos to Watch in 2016 description: Aside from the presidential candidates, here are the other politicians who might affect your life next year. canonical: https://time.com/4136469/top-10-politicos-2016/ author: TIME Photo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-04T16:51:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:00:49.154Z article:section: Politics og:title: 10 Politicos to Watch in 2016 og:description: Aside from the presidential candidates. og:url: https://time.com/4136469/top-10-politicos-2016/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt042815353405f8e5/698873d32dce019c279e6c70/facebook.jpg?branch=production&width=1090&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1090 og:image:height: 613 og:image:alt: facebook og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Politicos to Watch in 2016 twitter:description: Aside from the presidential candidates. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt042815353405f8e5/698873d32dce019c279e6c70/facebook.jpg?branch=production&width=1090&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Politicos to Watch in 2016 > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Dec 4, 2015 4:51 PM UTC  Kamala Harris: The California attorney general, a Democrat, is running for the seat being vacated by long-serving Sen. Barbara Boxer in California. If she wins, she would be the first black and the first South Asian Senator from the Golden State. Kamala Harris: The California attorney general, a Democrat, is running for the seat being vacated by long-serving Sen. Barbara Boxer in California. If she wins, she would be the first black and the first South Asian Senator from the Golden State. Robyn Twomey—Redux by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Dec 4, 2015 4:51 PM UTC  Kamala Harris: The California attorney general, a Democrat, is running for the seat being vacated by long-serving Sen. Barbara Boxer in California. If she wins, she would be the first black and the first South Asian Senator from the Golden State. Robyn Twomey—Redux  Paul Ryan: The new Speaker of the House never wanted this job, but he's already proven to be quite canny in how he got it. One of the few figures who can bring together conservatives and the Establishment, but it remains to be seen how long his honeymoon will last. Melissa Golden—Redux  Chuck Schumer: When Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid steps down next year, the New York Democrat is his likely successor. His first order of business will be helping change that job title to Senate Majority Leader, but it's a tall order. Melissa Golden—Redux  Julian Castro: The former mayor of San Antonio is now serving as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but many political watchers think he's got a shot at being Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick. Marjorie Kamys Cotera—Polaris  Joe Biden: Attention for the Vice President dropped dramatically once he said he's not running for president. But Biden made clear he's going out with a bang. He'll be pushing for things like cancer research and hitting blue-collar areas to drum up votes for Democratic candidates. Dough Mills—The New York Times/Redux  Nikki Haley: The South Carolina Governor, a Republican, drew praise for her handling of the Charleston church shooting and the lowering of the Confederate flag. She'll be in the spotlight again next year as the first Southern presidential primary takes place in her backyard. Richard Shiro—AP  Elizabeth Warren: The Massachusetts Senator is a one-woman think tank for Democratic policymaking. Still in her first term, she has a national following that catapults her proposals into the limelight, even though few of them will become law in the Republican-controlled Congress. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  Cory Gardner: The Colorado Senator showed how Republicans can win in a purple state in 2014 by countering attempts to paint him as unsupportive of women's concerns. When the dust from the GOP primary settles, the eventual presidential candidate may follow his lead. Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Greg Abbott: As head of the biggest, reddest state, the Texas Governor has a bully pulpit and he's using it. He led the way among GOP governors rejecting Syrian refugees in their states and fought President Obama's immigration actions in court. Joel Martinez—AP  Chuck Grassley: The Iowa Senator, a Republican, has long fought for tough mandatory minimum sentences. As a bipartisan coalition tries to get criminal justice reform through Congress, he chairs a crucial committee that could make or break the effort. 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