THE CANDIDATES

HILLARY CLINTON

If Americans are fuzzy on the other Democrat runners, they may feel they already know quite enough about Ms Clinton, who has gone from US First Lady to Senator to Secretary of State, navigating serial media maelstroms along the way. It’s exhausting to enumerate them (Whitewater, Monica, Benghazi, the email server). She cried in New Hampshire in 2008 yet failed to stave off Barack Obama. Now she’s after the nomination again. She has had a lousy campaign so far, yet this remains hers to lose.

BERNIE SANDERS

The self-described Democratic Socialist Senator from Vermont is technically an Independent on Capitol Hill but almost always votes with the Democrats. Since jumping into the nomination race, he has stunned probably even himself with the huge crowds he has drawn and his success at raising money from grassroots supporters.

MARTIN O’MALLEY

Mr O’Malley, the Governor of Maryland until the start of this year and before that Mayor of Baltimore, seemed well placed to challenge Ms Clinton. He has a strong record of progressive accomplishments in his state. So far, however, while his speeches are well received, his polling numbers have remained pathetic.

JIM WEBB

A Vietnam War veteran and former US Senator for Virginia, Mr Webb has barely campaigned. Yet he may draw attention in Las Vegas because of views that do not hew to one or other wing of the party. He opposes the Iran nuclear deal, but he worked sooner and harder than most of his party on justice reform.

LINCOLN CHAFEE

Mr Chafee, who shod horses as a young man, was a Republican US Senator for Rhode Island who defied his party and voted against the Iraq War. In 2011, he was elected as the state’s governor as an Independent. Now he’s running as a Democrat. His pet project? He wants the US to say goodbye to Fahrenheit and go metric.