Five of the major candidates were invited to participate in at least one Democratic Party-sanctioned debate: Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Webb.

The following individual announced a major candidacy for president but withdrew at some point after the Iowa Caucuses.

The following individuals were recognized by the media as major candidates for president but withdrew from the race after the first debate.

Among them were the following notable people: Several primaries provided ballot options to voters to cast votes for "no preference" and/or "uncommitted".

[2] The following people were the focus of presidential speculation in multiple media reports during the 2016 election cycle.