Following the fall of Saddam Hussain in 2003, Ayatollah Sistani (b.1930) has had a significant impact on the political climate of Iraq and holds the greatest following as the high jurist within the Shia world. Sistani’s political involvement has developed from strong interventions in the creation of a new political system post-2003 to a period of less involvement until the rise of ISIS and his crucial fatwa urging Iraqis to rise and defend the state. Sistani was fundamental in the drafting of the Iraqi constitution in addition to supporting the democratic transition of Iraq by encouraging his followers to participate in elections. As Sistani ages, the question of who shall succeed him surfaces. One finds a number of qualified individuals such as Sheikh Ishaq Al-Fayadh (b.1930), Sayed Mohammed Saeed Al-Hakim (b.1934), and his son and head of his office Sayed Mohammed Ridha Sistani. Through investigating the political capabilities of names such as this as well as the political relationships, if any, formed with relevant political authorities, this paper will seek to establish the likelihood of names such as this succeeding Sistani. In addition to this, this paper will consider names such as Sheikh Baqir Al-Irawani who are equally capable of succeeding Sistani but are not as known to the general public. Accomplishing this requires incorporating established norms within the clerical establishment, and this paper will use original interviews conducted with clerics close to Sistani and prominent Iraqi politicians.