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As he announced on last night’s Late Show, David Letterman is retiring in 2015 which gives CBS execs just a few months to secure a replacement for the beloved host. No mean feat, given the high stakes in the late night ratings battle and giant shoes Dave’s successor will need to fill.

So who should the network choose to fill such an important role? Well, the race is wide open with several late night hosts up for contact renewal within the next year. Check out the gallery above for some of the frontrunners.

Big names like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert may find themselves competing with lesser-known basic cable stalwarts like Bravo’s Andy Cohen.

Dark horse candidates like Chelsea Handler could bring an all new audience to the CBS late night lineup, but the network execs (typically not adventurous types) may choose to play it safe by promoting Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson.

Other names being bandied about include Louis CK, Tina Fey and Jerry Seinfeld – already a network legend in his own right. Some experts are predicting the network may even go with a young up-and-comer like Kevin Hart in order to secure a long future.

Pretend for a moment you’re a CBS exec (seven-figure salary and all), who would you hire to replace Letterman?