Let me start by saying, I have been casually following the 2016 presidential candidates for the past several months and now that we have a significant number of debates completed, I have seen some striking similarities between our candidates and Hogwarts professors from the Harry Potter series. Here are the remaining candidates initially after the Iowa caucus and whom I imagine as their witch or wizard alter ego. Disclaimer: The candidates and corresponding professor are based primarily on superficial personalities.

1. Ted Cruz – Professor Quirrell

At first glance, Cruz seems like he’ll be fairly quiet because there are movers and shakers around him who are more brash and unapologetic than he is. However, when you least expect it, he comes out of the woodwork and everyone is left wondering how he managed to get the spotlight shone on him.

2. Donald Trump – Professor Umbridge

Trump and Professor Umbridge know how to put on the dog and pony act to make people seem like they have the best intentions. In the mean time, they are working behind-the-scenes. Trump lacks moral standards with a holier than thou attitude. Also like Professor Umbridge, he is more concerned about furthering his own agenda at any cost and is eager to gain power rather than genuinely worry about the well-being of those who he pretends matter to him.

3. Chris Christie – Professor Snape

Christie, like Professor Snape, has an attitude about him and exudes every characteristic that a bully could possibly possess. He targets people who disagree with him or happen to look at him the wrong way. Like Snape, who wants to escape his role as the Potions professor and become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Christie has yearned for a position that has been out of his reach – President of the United States – and for good reason. Christie has also made his vendetta during his time as the Governor of New Jersey perfectly clear: Professor Snape is to Gryffindor House as Christie is to public educators.

4. Marco Rubio – Professor Flitwick

Rubio’s role in the presidential race is like Professor Flitwick’s role at Hogwarts; he’s not necessarily your favorite character, but he seems intelligent and passionate, and appears to have the potential to bring something new and exciting to the race.

5. Ben Carson – Professor Trelawney

Carson makes outlandish statements that reveal his ineptitude for politics and most of what he says leaves everyone wondering what in the world he’s talking about. However, unlike Trelawney, whose wild statements usually end up being true in part, Carson’s statements fall short of anywhere close to reality.

6. Jeb Bush – Professor Kettleburn

Bush, like Professor Kettleburn, is mentioned in passing, but people genuinely only know him by association to someone better known. Bush may do well some nights, but hardly anyone is paying attention because he isn’t acting as reckless as everyone else. However, recklessness doesn’t suit him and like Kettleburn, would result in him losing a few crucial body parts (supporters).

7. Hillary Clinton – Professor Slughorn

Clinton resembles Professor Slughorn’s personality in that on the surface she seems like a nice person who cares about creating a progressive future for those around her. However, beneath the surface she – like Slughorn – has a hidden agenda that no one is fully aware of.

8. Bernie Sanders – Professor Dumbledore

Sanders and Professor Dumbledore fall in line with one another because the demographic that supports them consist of young people – unlike those who are older and consider their ideals unrealistic. Like Dumbledore, he has a strong sense of social awareness and is ready to start a revolution for the people he feels are being mistreated.

9. Jim Gilmore – Professor Binns

Gilmore is most accurately represented by the ghost professor that never made it into the movies and everyone who hasn’t read the books is probably looking at the screen right now asking themselves, “Who?”

10. Carly Fiorina – Madam Hooch

Fiorina reminds me of Madam Hooch, the severe-looking flying professor. She rarely speaks, but when she does she keeps a relatively straight face the entire time.

11. John Kasich – Firenze

I’m not entirely sure that Kasich would be overly fond with the idea of being compared to a centaur, but nonetheless, such is life. Much like Firenze, Kasich seems to have a “go with the flow” kind of attitude – an attitude that Kasich has reportedly had following the Iowa caucus, which is more than a little surprising considering the fact that he received less than 2 percent of the vote.

When looking at the list of remaining candidates, I worry that I have been slightly generous with some in terms of whom I compared them to, but that is likely because there is not a wide pool of Hogwarts professors to choose from. If I had gone with a wider range that also included Wizard Pureblood radicals, a few different choices would have likely come to mind…