With the presidential election one year away, there comes the pandemonium of selecting a candidate to represent each of America’s two major parties: the Republicans and the Democrats.

The first Democratic presidential debate was held in early October, and the public learned more of what it already knew. The frontrunners, former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, further cemented their lead over fledgling candidates such as Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb, the latter of whom dropped out of the race a few weeks later.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, has built his campaign on honesty, decency, and the fact that he is the only major candidate to not be sponsored by a Super PAC. The 73-year-old senator from Vermont has repeatedly voiced his weariness with a majority of America’s wealth being controlled by so few people.

“What this campaign is about is whether we can mobilize our people to take back our government from a handful of billionaires and create the vibrant democracy we know we can and should have,” said Sanders in the live debate broadcasted by CNN.

The Republican side is much more spread out. The third Republican debate was held on October 28, and now a field that once included around 15 candidates has narrowed down to around three or four key contenders.

Dr. Ben Carson and Donald Trump hold commanding leads over the rest of the field. In the latest national poll by CBS News and The New York Times, Carson edged Trump for the first time with 26 percentage points to Trump’s 22. Marco Rubio currently places third with eight points.

Carson did not have as much a presence during the October 28 debate but garnered much attention from his closing statement.

“This is what I’m finding throughout America: People are waking up because it is us who will determine the fate of this great nation,” Carson said. “How do we use our intellect rather than letting the government utilize their [citizens’] ‘intellect’?”

At the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, the College Republicans and College Democrats organizations have become very invested in the upcoming election. UNCW’s Republicans know they have a lot to choose from.

“I am torn between Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio. I could honestly see myself supporting either one at this point and its too early for me to make a decision for one or the other,” said Ryan Himes, secretary for UNCW’s College Republicans. “I like these two specific candidates because they provide very different views than the traditional Republican.”

“Dr. Carson grew up in poverty and became a successful neurosurgeon and Sen. Rubio grew up in a household with Cuban parents who worked multiple jobs to make sure their children would have a better life than they had. I think a candidate needs to have been through tough times like that to fully understand what middle and low class Americans go through on a daily basis.”

Marco Rubio seemed to hold favor amongst other members as well. Vice-President Jessica Ortiz cited Rubio’s hard-nosed stance on both domestic and foreign issues as a plus.

“I specifically look for a candidate who is going to save our country from the immense debt we are in. I want a candidate who will cut government socialist programs that are unnecessary instead of raising taxes on Americans,” Ortiz said. “I want a candidate who will stand up against ISIS and support Israel, and is strict on illegal immigration, and I feel that Marco Rubio will accomplish all of this.”

The College Democrats of UNCW were more conservative in their approach when discussing where their support lies.

“Our ideal candidate (male or female) would be someone focused on the future of younger generations. We are heavily invested in women’s reproductive and health rights, education reform, equality, and enforcing actual living wages,” the group said. “We look for someone with lots of experience who has been consistent in their values and beliefs, and has a history of activism and support for social justice.”

They did not wish to reveal anything in terms of individual candidate support.

“We support all of the democratic candidates and patiently await the primaries to have a nominee to focus all of our energy on,” they said. “We table across campus to register voters as well as inform the public, even those uninterested in politics, about different candidates. We have also started having debate viewing parties in order to ensure that our members are up-to-date.”