Democratic Party (Incumbent)

- President Barack Obama

Obama is America's first black president. He became a state senator in 1997, and a U.S. senator in 2005.

Since becoming president, Obama passed the Affordable Care Act, remaking the national healthcare system, ended the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of barring gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military, and established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Unemployment has remained above 8 percent throughout his term and he has yet to achieve his 2008 campaign promises to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; to pass the Employee Free Choice Act protecting labor unions; and to end Bush-era tax cuts.

- Vice President Joe Biden

Before becoming vice president, Biden had served in the U.S. Senate since 1972, most notably as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

As vice president, Biden has led the White House Task Force on Working Families and has had a key advisory role in the administration's strategy in Afghanistan. Biden was also put in charge of oversight for infrastructure spending from the Obama economic stimulus package.

Republican Party (Challenger)

- Governor Mitt Romney

Republican presidential candidate Romney is a businessman and former governor of Massachusetts. Born in 1947, he had a successful career as head of private equity investment firm, Bain Capital, and his net worth is approximately $200 million to $250 million.

Romney's notable achievements include a role as head of the organizing committee for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and passing comprehensive health reform in the state of Massachusetts. His model of mandated insurance was used for the national Affordable Care Act. Romney said he is opposed to the national healthcare law, saying he believes it should be an individual state decision.

- Representative Paul Ryan

Republican vice presidential candidate Ryan, 42, is one of the Republican Party's young up-and-comers. He was elected to Congress at age 28.

Ryan's strong views on reducing the national debt and cutting government spending have boosted the ticket's support among fiscal conservatives. He is the architect of the House Republicans' budget proposal to slash programs like Medicare and unemployment benefits. His proposed budget reduces discretionary spending from 12.5 percent of the GDP to 3.75 percent by 2050.

The author is a freelance writer in New York City

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