(NewsNation) — The race to the White House is a grueling one for presidential candidates of any party, with months of campaigning, travel — and all the attention that comes with it.

With 2024 looming, there are already numerous Republican primary candidates, including frontrunners former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Two Democrats, Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are running against incumbent President Joe Biden, and a third-party hopeful, academic Cornel West recently announced his presidential ambitions.

In an already-crowded race, some may wonder why political hopefuls throw their hat in the ring at all, especially if they’re not polling well.

“Certainly, all of these people get into the race because they actually think they can win,” Todd Belt, a professor and director of political management at George Washington University, said. “They’re in it to win it. If not this time, then maybe next time.”

Added Belt: “Nobody really runs for president thinking,’Oh, I might be able to be vice president or I might get a cabinet position.’”

However, that’s sometimes what happens. Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris, then a senator, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, once a Midwestern mayor, both ran in the Democratic primary in 2020 before getting to their current positions.

Political experts NewsNation talked to said there are some incentives in running for president — even if with a long-shot campaign.

“You never know what may happen and who might break through for whatever reason,” Costas Panagopoulos, a professor and chair of political science at Boston’s Northeastern University, said. “There are lots of developments that can happen on the campaign trail.”

Even those who don’t nab a presidential nomination can benefit from national visibility and financial backing from donors. 

“It’s a way of cultivating a donor base of support, as well as support at the polls,” Panagopoulos said. 

Putting one’s name out there for the highest office in the country can put them into consideration for high positions in the private sector.

“There are corporations who like to put these people on boards of directors, and there are universities who look for presidents and other administrators,” Belt said. “If you can run for president and show that you can raise a good deal of money, then there’s a lot of people out there who want you to work for them.”

Elevating issues that are important to them is another reason candidates run, Belt said, like how Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders did with healthcare and Medicare for All in 2020.

Sometimes, topics other candidates bring up during campaigns can become key policy discussions in future presidential administrations. For instance, student loan forgiveness. 

“That wasn’t something Biden really championed at the beginning of his campaign, but because other candidates were talking about it, he took that on as an issue,” Belt said.

Along with the rewards, Panagopoulos cautions there are some risks that come with pursuing a presidential bid, too. 

“If you fall flat on the campaign trail, you can be branded as someone who is not appealing to voters,” Panagopoulos said. “There could be damage done during primary debates and other rivalries that can make it difficult for somebody to ascend.”

And with an intense campaign comes intense scrutiny.

“You never know what it uncovers about your background, about your past, about the kinds of things that you have fought for and supported,” Panagopoulos said. “When people dig up things that make you look like a flip-flopper, or make you look like you’re adopting convenient positions, even though they might be inconsistent with positions in the past, those types of things can be damaging.”