Although Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been dominating the primaries and media, the candidates who are currently in second place should not be overshadowed as contenders.

   Ben Carson stands at second place in the Republican primaries, only 4% behind Trump’s 26% in the polls. As Carson closes in on Trump, Trump spoke about dropping out of the race if his polls plummet any further. Carson brings unique perspective to the Republican party as a man coming from a career outside of politics. As Trump speaks of the million dollar loan his father gave him as a young man, a small loan in Trump’s eyes, Carson is rallying his supporters around his humble upbringing. Carson is not like the majority of politicians who came from wealth. He was born into poverty in Detroit with a single parent household. His success in the polls is due to winning middle class votes that find him to be more relatable than Trump.

   The current runner up in the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders, stands at 25% in the polls, a little further behind first place candidate, Hillary Clinton at 44% in the polls. He has been overwhelmingly popular for a man that built his  political career as an independent. Democrats have been huge supporters of his socialist approach. Although he does not stay true to all Democratic philosophies, such as his anti gun control approach, this has not stopped him from winning a quarter of the Democratic vote. In contrast to Carson’s inexperience, Sanders has been in Congress for over two decades and remains the longest serving independent member of Congress.

   Both of these candidates have tough competition ahead if they wish to remain in the top two spots in their party’s primaries; however, they have admirable traits that could very easily swing the election in a way no one was expecting.