The two-term senior senator from Minnesota is hardly a household name outside, well, Minnesota 鈥� but Sen. Amy Klobuchar has long been on politicos鈥� radar as an up-and-coming Democrat.
She solidified her spot on this list by heading to Iowa, the first nominating state, in August 2013 to speak at the Democrats鈥�10th annual North Iowa Wing Ding fundraiser. She was the first potential Democratic 2016-er to appear in Iowa since the 2012 election.
鈥淚 think a lot of work I鈥檓 doing in the Senate obviously has national implications,鈥� Senator Klobuchar told reporters.
Last year, Klobuchar also spoke to the Iowa delegation at the Democratic convention. And during Obama鈥檚 second inaugural, she dropped in on the Iowa ball. But she insists she鈥檚 not seriously considering a run, noting that the Wing Ding is only a two-hour drive from her house in Minnesota.
This 50-something graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School wins kudos for being both affable 鈥� 鈥淐all me Amy,鈥� she tells people 鈥� and politically shrewd. She鈥檚 also a former prosecutor.
鈥淎my Klobuchar has got 鈥楳innesota nice鈥� down to a T 鈥� she鈥檚 ready for Garrison Keillor鈥檚 鈥楢 Prairie Home Companion,鈥� 鈥� Minnesota political analyst Larry Jacobs . 鈥淏ut don鈥檛 be fooled. This is a very ambitious, very skilled, very successful politician who has her sights set very high, and she鈥檚 been thinking about the next step for some time.鈥�
