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HERE ARE THE TOP 2 THUS FAR:

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2. Donald Trump, Republican, businessman

Trump has lit the political world on fire since his entry into the race earlier this summer.

Trump’s bombastic entry into the race has vaulted him to the top of almost every recent polls nationally and of the early-voting states of New Hampshire and Iowa. And at least one poll is showing him gaining ground against Hillary Clinton.

There’s a clear appetite among Republican primary voters for someone like Trump, whose claims about illegal immigration have again inflamed the debate over immigration reform. And with his claim that he’s worth more than $10 billion, he won’t be pressed for funds. He said last weekend that he was prepared to spend $1 billion on his campaign.

Time will tell if Trump can sustain his serious momentum and be a real factor five months from now, when voters finally start going to the polls. But with the way he keeps weathering controversy after controversy that would seemingly sink most other candidates, it looks like he’s going to be in the conversation for a while.

National polling average among Republican voters: 22% (1st)

Iowa: 19.3% (1st)
New Hampshire: 24.5% (1st)

STOCK: Rising
Last month: 4

1. Hillary Clinton, Democrat, former Secretary of State

Clinton is No. 1 here because she’s proved formidable in both polling and fundraising — and she still looks to be able to glide to the Democratic nomination, despite continued controversy over her use of a private email server as secretary of state.

Clinton averages about 49% of the Democratic vote when combining national, Iowa, and New Hampshire polls. Though these are all different races with different electorates, her strength in all three shows her overall dominance in the primary.

She’s ahead by an average of about 24 points in national polling, according to Real Clear Politics. She’s up by the same margin in Iowa, but there are signs of tightening in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire. New polls released this week also showed her on shaky ground against Republican hopefuls in theoretical general-election matchups.

Overall, Clinton is a shaky No. 1 at this point. But she still has the easiest path to the nomination. If Vice President Joe Biden does decide to run, that path could become much more difficult.

National polling average among Democratic voters: 54.5% (1st)
Iowa: 50.5%% (1st)
New Hampshire: 40.7% (1st)

STOCK: Neutral
Last month: 1

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11. Joe Biden, Democrat, Vice President of the United States

Welcome a newcomer to the presidential power rankings: Vice President Joe Biden, who is newly considering a challenge to front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Biden would have an uphill battle if he were to enter the race, which is becoming an increasingly likely proposition.

But lingering concerns over Clinton’s use of a private email server, plus Biden’s legitimacy over Bernie Sanders as a potential nominee, would quickly vault him into the forefront of a hotly contested primary. (Keep in mind that the poll numbers below are from him being a theoretical candidate, and that he would likely see a boost if he were to officially enter the race.)

Most Democratic voters now want him to take the plunge: A CNN poll released this week showed that 53% of Democrats prefer his entry into the race.

National polling average among Democratic voters: 11% (3rd)
Iowa: 9.3% (3rd)
New Hampshire: 6.7% (3rd)

STOCK: Rising
Last month: N/A