When will they run? A timeline for 2016

Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Hillary Clinton are all in — so who’s next? 

Spring brought an early flurry of presidential announcements from the trio of Republicans and the Democratic front-runner. There might be a brief reprieve, but don’t expect other possible rivals to sit on the sidelines for long. 

{mosads}“The Republican primary is turning into a GOP NASCAR race, and the longer you wait, the more laps you’ll have to make up, as you try to take on the lead car,” said GOP strategist Ron Bonjean. “It would be wise for [New Jersey Gov.] Chris Christie and others to get in sooner, rather than later, because they risk getting dwarfed by others who are capitalizing on fundraising and infrastructure.”

Here’s a cheat sheet for what we know about the remaining potential candidates’ timelines. 

REPUBLICANS 

Jeb Bush: While the former Florida governor hasn’t made it official yet, he is all but running. Bush has been staffing his Right to Rise PAC with a campaign-team-in-waiting for months and has pulled in top-level consultants and advisers. Bush has also been the most aggressive fundraiser in the field.

In addition, he’s already keeping a campaign-style calendar. This week alone, Bush will fundraise in Florida, give a keynote speech at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, host an event in support of Sen. David Vitter’s (R) gubernatorial bid in Louisiana and speak at two events in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire.

Bush’s December announcement that he was testing the waters moved up the timelines for many of his likely challengers by becoming the first major prospective candidate to confirm his interest. But since then, he’s kept his timeline close to the vest.

“In a few months’ time — I’m not sure exactly when — I’ll make up my mind,” Bush said late last month at an event in South Carolina.

Chris Christie: The New Jersey governor is ramping up his political schedule and attending a bevy of town hall events this week. But the Republican isn’t expected to make his announcement until later in the spring, and advisers indicated last month that it is unlikely he would announce in April.

“The announcements of others who may or may not enter the race will have no impact on Gov. Christie’s timetable,” said Christie adviser Mike DuHaime.

There is one possible complication to Christie’s plans: Authorities are reportedly wrapping up their investigation into the controversy surrounding lane closures on the George Washington Bridge — which could mean indictments for some of the governor’s closest aides and allies.

Scott Walker: The Wisconsin governor is reportedly planning to decide by late spring or early summer and make a formal announcement around June.

Though the Republican is competing against fellow conservatives like Cruz, his high poll numbers could allow him to hold off on making an announcement while still garnering the media attention that comes with it.

“Walker needs it less because he’s polling very well right now, but a lot of second tier candidates do need to get on the board and show they can pull off a good event and put their names in ring,” said Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak.

Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor won’t announce before June 11, when the legislative session ends.

Carly Fiorina: The former Hewlett-Packard CEO is likely to announce in April or May, according to National Journal.

Lindsey Graham: The South Carolina senator should make a decision by mid-May, Politico reported.

Mike Huckabee: When the former Arkansas governor left his Fox News show earlier this year to explore, Huckabee said that he would wait until spring to make a final decision.

Rick Santorum: The former Pennsylvania senator and runner up for the Republican nomination in 2012 will reportedly make his announcement by late spring and has set up a committee to “test the waters” for a run.

“Huckabee and Santorum are both are fairly well known. They have high name ID, but they’re not as prominent in the conversation right now so could certainly benefit from a strong announcement event,” Mackowiak said.

Rick Perry: The former Texas governor has long said he will make his decision in May or June.

Ben Carson: The conservative retired neurosurgeon will make an announcement May 4 in his hometown of Detroit. 

DEMOCRATS 

Joe Biden: The vice president said at an Iowa event in February that he would make a decision about a White House bid of his own “at the end of the summer.” 

Martin O’Malley: Though polls show the former Maryland governor would face an uphill battle against Clinton if he decides to seek the nomination, O’Malley is possibly her most formidable challenger. He told The Washington Post last week that he would make his decision by late May.

Jim Webb: The former Virginia senator was the first candidate to launch an exploratory committee, but Webb has not given a timeline to announce his plans.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: The progressive independent senator from Vermont has not given a timeline for an announcement since the end of March, the initial deadline he gave for announcing his candidacy.

Lincoln Chafee: The former Rhode Island governor surprised many observers when he announced an exploratory committee last week. He has said he does not have a time frame for when he will announce his plans.