(CNN) On Capitol Hill this week in the aftermath of the midterm election, there has been a fresh urgency to the perennial question for the nearly a dozen Democratic members of Congress who are widely considered potential candidates for president: Are you going to run?

"At some point, I obviously have to make a decision," California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris told CNN Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

"I am exploring it," Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley answered.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says she's thinking "long and hard" about it. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is talking about "blue prints" for 2020. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker says he is indeed taking time to think about it. And California Rep. Eric Swalwell tells CNN that he will be making his decision very soon.

There is a particularly very large crop of potential 2020 Democratic candidates who are currently serving in the House or Senate -- potentially a list that could swell to well over a dozen. Many believe those numbers will push the field to lean into their ambitions sooner and stronger as they each try to stand out in a crowded field among their colleagues.

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