NCAA March Madness 2015: Possible 2016 Presidential Candidates Join Our NCAA Bracket Pool
— -- When in the course of human events a person, who is considering a 2016 presidential campaign, watches the NCAA basketball tournament, it becomes necessary for that person to participate in a joint ABC News/ESPN bracket pool.
Well, "necessary" might be pushing it, but 14 of the potential 2016 presidential candidates have done just that.
In partnership with our sister network ESPN, ABC News reached out to every major politician who's said he or she is looking at a run for the White House. The result: Our official NCAA bracket pool for possible 2016 aspirants, live and viewable at ESPN.com--in the same format we and everyone else uses for ESPN bracket pools with our friends.
See the ABC/ESPN 2016 Potential Candidates' Pool here, and see the ABC/ESPN 2016 Potential Candidates' NCAA Women's Pool here.
In this bracket challenge, the stakes could be presidential. See below who picked whom in the men's pool, and what it might mean for the future of the White House and the country.
JEB BUSH -- VIRGINIA
The GOP's 2016 frontrunner shies away from the NCAA frontrunner, Kentucky, and picks the University of Virginia to upset the Wildcats and win it all. Through the most jaded political lens, it could be considered a play for Virginia's coveted swing-state votes in the general election--but we know the former governor isn't looking that far ahead just yet.
BOBBY JINDAL -- LOUISIANA STATE
Standing by his home state until the end, the Louisiana governor picks LSU to advance as a nine-seed and win it all over Kentucky. The nationally known governor throws a potential bone to Iowa voters, picking Northern Iowa to upset Louisville in the second round.
LINDSEY GRAHAM -- KENTUCKY
Staying true to his Southern roots, the South Carolina senator sends two teams from his neighboring state, North Carolina, and two teams from Kentucky to the Final Four. In the end he puts all his faith in the state of Kentucky--home of a potential 2016 rival and fellow senator, Rand Paul--and has Kentucky and Louisville playing for the title, with Kentucky winning it all.
SCOTT WALKER -- WISCONSIN
Unsurprisingly, Gov. Walker chose his home-state team to win the tournament. But he also stays true to the Midwest, and possibly makes a play for the hearts and minds of Iowans, by putting the Iowa State Cyclones in his Final Four.
MARTIN O'MALLEY -- MARYLAND
Staying true to his state, the former Democratic governor of Maryland -- and the lone Democrat participating on our bracket challenge--Martin O’Malley picked the Maryland Terrapins to win it all.
BEN CARSON -- KENTUCKY
The neurosurgeon played it safe and showed a steady hand in sticking with top-seeded picks to make it to the Final Four. The potential Republican candidate is going with the heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats as his champion.
CARLY FIORINA -- VIRGINIA
The one-time Senate candidate and former Hewlett-Packard CEO puts her numbers game to the test with carefully calculated picks. Baylor is the lowest seed she sends to the Final Four, with UVA winning it all.
TED CRUZ -- KENTUCKY
Although the Texan senator tweeted out a congratulations to all the Texas teams that made the tournament, Cruz opted out of picking any of his home-state teams to reach the Final Four. Cruz also sided with sports analysts and picked the undefeated Wildcats as the winner.
JOHN BOLTON -- KENTUCKY
The former U.N. ambassador puts his geopolitical pragmatism to use in this bracket that includes three one-seeds and a two-seed in the Final Four. A Yale alumn, Bolton picks his alma mater's rival, Harvard, to win its first-round game.
JIM GILMORE -- VIRGINIA
The former Virginia governor picks a homer bracket, with his home state's UVA team going all the way. Gilmore makes the popular selection of putting Iowa State in the Final Four.
RICK SANTORUM -- WISCONSIN
The former senator and onetime GOP presidential runner-up played it safe, carefully picking the higher seeds in most games. However, like other possible 2016 hopefuls, he does appear to be favoring Iowa -- whose caucuses he won in 2012 -- putting the Cyclones in the Final Four. He also made sure to represent Pennsylvania, with Villanova also reaching the semifinal round.
BOB EHRLICH -- KENTUCKY
The former Maryland governor sticks with the frontrunner in this field, picking the Wildcats over Duke in the title game. Ehrlich might be an early underdog to the 2016 frontrunners if he enters the race, and he likes some upsets in the tournament this year, with UCLA and Davidson both advancing.
GEORGE PATAKI -- KENTUCKY
In what could be construed as a naked play for support from Iowa caucusgoers, the savvy former New York governor has Iowa State reaching the title game, before the overwhelming odds prevail with a Kentucky victory in Gov. Pataki's bracket.
MIKE HUCKABEE -- ARKANSAS
Last, but certainly not least, the 12-seed darling of the 2008 presidential race declined to submit an actual, pool-worthy bracket, but he shows out for his home state of Arkansas with what might be the biggest homer NCAA bracket ever tweeted.
ABC's Shushannah Walshe, Arlette Saenz, and Liz Kreutz contributed to this project.
