Current FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is coy about his plans, but most observers say he is ready to leave the agency in the coming months.

If the chairman departs, as expected, whomever Obama taps to succeed Genachowski will have to decide how to try to handle the agenda he leaves behind.

The two other Democrats already on the commission — Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel — are seen as contenders to succeed Genachowski. Both have powerful political backers on Capitol Hill.

Other names bandied about include National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator Larry Strickling; former Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association head Tom Wheeler; Scott Harris, executive vice president of Neustar; and Blair Levin, a former FCC chief of staff who also oversaw preparation of the National Broadband Plan.

Public Knowledge CEO Gigi Sohn, for one, hopes the next chairman is a woman.

“In the election year of the woman, the FCC needs a female chair,” Sohn said.

Many industry insiders think the chairmanship will go to a Washington outsider, possibly someone from one of the state public utility commissions.

“I think it’s going to come in from left field,” said one telecommunications industry executive.

An FCC spokesperson said Wednesday that “Chairman Genachowski is focused, and plans to remain focused, on an ongoing agenda to unleash the benefits of broadband, driving economic growth and opportunity for all Americans, and helping ensure that the U.S. maintains the global leadership it has regained.”

Whoever helms the commission will have to deal with a string of court challenges to Genachowski’s policies. It’s likely that at least some of the challenges to the net neutrality rules, data roaming requirements or Universal Service Fund reform will succeed and throw issues back to the agency.

“Unless we have a shocker and the FCC goes three for three [in the courts], it’s all going to fall back to the FCC to fix it,” Sohn said.

In any case, Obama’s victory means the commission remains in Democratic hands and that Genachowski’s initiatives, from a first-ever incentive auction for a big slice of the airwaves to network neutrality, will continue.

While conservatives have vilified Genachowski, liberals have also been critical. The liberals are hoping that a new chairman will move the commission to the left.

“It’s all about the FCC’s power to protect the consumer,” Sohn said.

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Blair Levin’s past position at the FCC.