Candidates-in-waiting admit former Vice President Joe Biden is a factor in their decision-making. Democratic donors and bundlers are sitting on their wallets. Then there’s the pool of seasoned campaign hands in wait-and-see mode, closely attuned to Biden’s next move.

The shadow Biden casts over the Democratic field is a sign of his stature in the party — as the loyal No. 2 of the party’s beloved President Barack Obama, his polling numbers place him in the front-runner ranks — but it’s also a reflection of the lane he would occupy if he were to run.

Biden’s appeal to the white working class and moderates puts him squarely in the path of possible candidates like former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe — and it’s coloring their deliberations about the race.

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“I’m not doing anything until I find out what Terry is doing. And I don’t believe Terry will run if Biden does. It’s kind of a two-for,” said Chris Korge, who raised more for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 bid than any other bundler in the nation.

“Terry has probably 25 percent of the major fundraisers and bundlers in the country waiting on him,” Korge said, estimating that McAuliffe could raise $60 million from them in the opening months of a campaign. “But maybe three quarters of the donors saying they’re sitting out because of Biden might not be there for him if he ran. They’re using him as an excuse.”