Your Republican Candidate Cheat Sheet

Age: 64

Background: Carson is a well-known retired pediatric neurosurgeon who was born in Detroit. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Yale University and his MD degree from University of Michigan. His claim to fame? Successfully separating conjoined twins and eventually receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush in 2008. He entered the political spotlight during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast when he criticized President Barack Obama's policies on taxes and health care. After that, he became an opinion columnist for The Washington Times and a contributor to Fox News.

Stance on hot topics: Carson is in favor of protecting the Second Amendment, stating on his website: "The right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms is fundamental to our liberty." He is also pro-life, which is connected to his work as a pediatric neurosurgeon. His website states: “As a surgeon, I have operated on infants prebirth. I can assure you that they are very much alive.”

Memorable quote: In light of the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon, he was asked by Fox & Friends how he would react if the gunman had walked up to him. "Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me," he said. "I would say,'‘Hey, guys, everybody attack him! He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all."  

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far: During December's GOP debate, moderator Hugh Hewitt asked Carson whether he'd be able to strike a balance between the good character that stems from his professional experience with ill children and the ruthlessness required to wage the war on terror. "You have to be able to look at the big picture and understand that it's actually merciful if you go ahead and finish the job rather than death by 1,000 pricks," he answered, confirming that he would sacrifice the lives of innocent children and civilians in a Middle East air strike if necessary. 

— Reporting by Samantha Netkin 

Age: 69 

Background: Donald J. Trump, a self-proclaimed American success story, is the president and chairman of Trump Organization with businesses in sports, entertainment, and real estate. The bestselling author and  Emmy-nominated presidential candidate hails from Queens, New York City. He's also a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Finance, and is married to a designer and former model  Melania Trump. His current worth? $9 billion. 

Stance on hot topics:  When it comes to immigration, his proposal is to deport nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants and to build a wall on the US/Mexico border. After the San Bernardino, CA, terrorist attack, Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, including 100,000 Syrian refugees seeking asylum. On the economy, he vows to solve the national debt problems and reform the tax code by imposing a tax increase on hedge fund managers that in turn will lower the burden on the middle class.  

Memorable quote: "When Mexico send its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems with us," he said during his presidential announcement speech. "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're bringing rapists, and some, I assume, are good people."

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far:  At the December debate, Trump said he would kill the family members of terrorists; when Jeb Bush suggested that the idea was ridiculous, the two got into an argument, with Trump saying, "Am I talking right now, or are you?"

— Reporting by Elona Voytovych

Age: 53

Background: The New Jersey governor received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware in 1984 before attending Seton Hall University of Law in 1987. In 2002, he was named US Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He's been governor since 2010 and was reelected in 2013.

Stance on hot topics: Throughout his time in office, Christie's been vocal about his pro-life views. He defunded Planned Parenthood in New Jersey six years ago and believes that defunding Planned Parenthood should be put on the president’s desk. On gun control, Christie thinks that focusing on mental health is necessary to prevent gun violence. While he believes all Americans have the right to protect themselves, he also wants mental health records to be included in background checks at the time of purchase.

Memorable quote: "I've got one more question for you then. Are you serious about this election? Because if you are, you need to elect someone who's deadly serious about changing this culture," he said during the third Republican debate, referring to the country's debt and deficit. "I changed it in New Jersey. I'm deadly serious about doing this job the right way."

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far: During the fifth Republican debate, Christie sent Twitter into a rage after asking the audience to “think of the moms taking their kids to the bus stop and the fathers going off to work” in response to the San Bernardino, CA, shooting. The comment led to infuriated social media users calling the candidate out as sexist.

— Reporting by Aimee Simeon

Age: 44

Background: As a Miami native and son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio has served as Florida’s junior senator since January 2011. He had previously been the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2008. He has a BA in political science from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami’s School of Law.

Stance on hot topics: Rubio is intent on prioritizing the nation's military defense by increasing defense spending. He's also spoken about repealing Obama's Affordable Care Act and instead providing tax cuts for those who wish to independently purchase insurance. Though he personally opposes same-sex marriage, he says he respects the Supreme Court’s decision. 

When it comes to immigration, Rubio has been vocal about reform, although he’s changed his stance on the matter various times. He coauthored the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act in 2013, which would provide undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship while also strengthening our border security. Shortly thereafter, he opposed the bill. He has now turned his attention to stopping undocumented immigrants from entering the country before addressing those that are already in the country.

Memorable quote: "I don't think you can nominate someone with a last name that ends in a vowel and expect that all of a sudden Hispanics will flock to them," he said in an interview with Parade, implying that Latino voters wouldn't just vote for him because of his background, but instead because they believe in what he stands for.

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far:  In an attempt to illustrate our need for more vocational training during the GOP financial debate, Rubio said, “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.” Some viewers were confused by the factually incorrect comment and started LOL-worthy memes about it on Twitter. 

— Reporting by Kelsey R. Garcia

Age: 62  

Background: Bush is the son of George H.W. Bush (president from 1989 to 1993) and younger brother of George W. Bush (president from 2001 to 2009). He is best known for his work as governor of Florida from 1998 to 2007. He grew up in Houston before attending the Phillips Academy in Massachusetts and the University of Texas and then moving to Florida in 1980 to pursue a career in real estate.  

Memorable quote: “We can’t dissociate ourselves from peace-loving Muslims," he said during December's debate, explaining that the US needed the support of Muslims to fight ISIS. "If we expect to do this on our own, we will fail.”  

Stance on hot topics: Bush strongly supports providing undocumented immigrants who live in the US a pathway to citizenship. He seeks to lower taxes and simplify the tax code, freeing people from income-tax liability by implementing his proposed Reform and Growth Act of 2017.

On foreign policy, he wants to maintain current relationships and become allies with Egypt and Saudi Arabia to effectively fight terrorism. And when it comes to health reform, he called Obama’s Affordable Care Act “a monstrosity” and a “job suppressor,” and seeks to replace it with a market-oriented plan that focuses on consumers. This would include cost transparency, securing “portable coverage” to better accommodate workers changing jobs, and increasing HSA limits. 

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far: During the October debate, he was asked a hypothetical question about Democrats cutting $10 in spending for every dollar in tax increases. "You find a Democrat that's for cutting spending $10, I'll give 'em a warm kiss," he said, causing people across the country to cringe. 

— Reporting by Nicole Yi 

Age: 45

Background: Cruz was born in Calgary, Canada, leading to one of the biggest questions of the election so far: is he eligible to be President? His father was born in Cuba but his mother was born in Delaware, so some think that because his mother is a natural-born American citizen, he should be considered one too. Others believe that only those born on American soil should be considered natural-born citizens. As for his education, he studied at Princeton during his undergraduate years and then went on to Harvard Business School, graduating in 1995. Before becoming the junior senator from Texas, he opened a private law practice and served as Texas's Solicitor General as well as the director of policy planning at the US Federal Trade Commission. Cruz is married to a managing director at Goldman Sachs, which puts a spotlight on his criticism of Wall Street.

Stance on hot topics: In addition to championing the National Rifle Association, Cruz advocates for more use of guns to combat violence. Cruz is an outspoken critic of Obamacare, if not the most zealous critic — he intends to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if elected. He also vehemently opposes abortion — even in cases of rape or incest — and gay marriage.

Memorable quote: "I'll talk until I can't stand anymore," he said when he famously filibustered Obamacare for 20 hours. "Don’t worry, I have government-run health insurance. I’ll be fine.”

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far:  During the third debate, the moderator asked the candidates about their greatest weakness. "I'm too agreeable and easygoing. My biggest weakness is I'm a fighter," said Cruz. "I'm passionate about what I believe in. I may not be the type of person you want to grab a beer with, but I will get you home." his answer spawned plenty of hilarious tweets about him as the nation's designated driver.

— Reporting by Eleanor Sheehan

Age: 63

Background: Kasich graduated from Ohio State University. Early in his political career, Kasich served on the Ohio Senate. In 1983, he was elected to the House of Representatives where he served as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee for six years. Before being elected the governor of Ohio, his current position, Kasich worked for the now-defunct Lehman Brothers. 

Stance on hot topics: Kasich is a proponent of creating a no-fly zone around Syria and leading a coalition against ISIS in the Middle East. While he is a defender of gun rights, he voted for an assault weapon ban when he served in the House; Kasich believes mental health issues should be addressed in conjunction with new gun laws. Unlike the majority of Republican candidates, Kasich supports a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Memorable quote: On being "old-fashioned" but respecting the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage: "Because somebody doesn’t think the way I do doesn't mean that I can't care about them or can't love them."

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far: During the fourth debate, Kasich criticized Donald Trump's immigration policy and called it ridiculous; Trump got defensive, leading to a heated argument in which Kasich did his best version of "talk to the hand."

— Reporting by Eleanor Sheehan

Age: 61

Background: Carly Fiorina is a former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 business. Since leaving HP in 2005, she's focused on giving back through a number of charities such as the One Woman Initiative and Good360. She also served as an adviser to Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

Stance on hot topics: When it comes to immigration, Carly is vocal about tightening border security before making larger changes to the immigration system. She has stated her support for a path to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants if they graduate from college or serve in the armed forces. Carly does not endorse same-sex marriage, but said she is supportive of granting government benefits to same-sex couples. And unlike other Republican candidates, Carly has not denied human activity as a cause of global warming: she's focused on supporting international treaties to fight climate change.

Memorable quote: "I come from a world outside of politics where track records and accomplishments count, words don't," she said to Fox News earlier this year about her nontraditional background. "If I run for the president, it's because I can win and I can do the job."

Standout moment from 2016 election — so far: In an interview with Rolling Stone, Donald Trump commented on Carly's looks, saying, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not supposed to say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"

Fast-forward to the second GOP debate: Trump and Jeb Bush were talking about Bush’s comments that the government should not spend half a billion dollars on women’s health. Bush said he misspoke, but Donald said he heard him loud and clear. When moderator Jake Tapper asked Carly to respond to Trump’s comments about her looks, she followed up on the Donald/Jeb argument and said, "You know it's interesting to me, Mr. Trump said that he heard Mr. Bush very clearly and what Mr. Bush said. I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said." *Mic drop*

— Reporting by Marina Liao

Age: 53

Background: The son of politician Ron Paul and born in Pittsburgh, Rand Paul is a doctor and US Senator for Kentucky. He and his wife, Kelley Ashby Paul, have been married for 24 years, and they have three sons. The family lives in Bowling Green, KY, where Paul ran an ophthalmology practice for 18 years. He first entered politics when he ran for the Senate in 2010.

Stance on hot topics: Paul has made the national debt one of his key issues, and he plans to cut spending across the board. He's also spoken out against National Security Agency spying, hoping to end the organization's data collection. When it comes to taxes, he wants to cut them for everyone, and he'd like to repeal Obamacare.

Memorable quote: "I want a government really, really small, so small you can barely see it," he said during the fourth Republican debate. "I want lower taxes and much more money in the private sector."

Standout moment from the 2016 election — so far: During that same Republican debate, Paul schooled Trump, who was ranting about China as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Paul jumped in, saying, "You might want to point out China's not part of this deal" to audience applause.

— Reporting by Laura Meyers