User:QuailWatts/sandbox2028
On this sandbox, I'm tracking politicians who have been named as potential candidates for the 2028 United States presidential election.
Republican Party
[edit]Potential candidate
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Ron DeSantis
[edit]Ron DeSantis has served as the governor of Florida since 2019 and is expected to finish his second term in 2027, when term limits prevent him from running for a third term. DeSantis previously ran for the presidency in 2024, where he withdrew following a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.
Nikki Haley
[edit]Nikki Haley served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018, and before that served as the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. Haley previously ran for the presidency in 2024, where she became the major opposition candidate to Donald Trump, withdrawing after Super Tuesday.
Brian Kemp
[edit]Brian Kemp has served as the governor of Georgia since 2019 and is expected to finish his second term in 2027, when term limits prevent him from running for a third term.
JD Vance
[edit]JD Vance is the vice president-elect of the United States and has served as as a U.S. senator from Ohio since 2023. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to end his second term in 2029, when he would be ineligible to run for a third term.
Glenn Youngkin
[edit]Glenn Youngkin has served as the governor of Virginia since 2022 and is expected to finish his first term in 2026, when term limits prevent him from running for a second consecutive term. In 2023, Axios reported that Youngkin considered running in 2024, depending on the 2023 Virginia legislative elections.[1] He would eventually decline to run, instead endorsing Donald Trump.
Other candidates
[edit]These following individuals have been listed as a potential candidate by at least one reliable news source or poll, while not being the subject of immense speculation.
- Greg Abbott, governor of Texas (2015–present), attorney general of Texas (2002–2015), justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (1996–2001)[2][3]
- Katie Britt, U.S. senator from Alabama (2023–present)[4]
- Doug Burgum, U.S. secretary-designate of the Interior, governor of North Dakota (2016–present), candidate for president in 2024[4]
- Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas (2013–present), solicitor general of Texas (2003–2008), candidate for president in 2016[4][5]
- Kristi Noem, U.S. secretary-designate of homeland security, governor of South Dakota (2019–present), U.S. representative from South Dakota (2011–2019), member of the South Dakota House of Representatives (2007–2011)[4]
- Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur, CEO of Roivant Sciences (2017–2021), candidate for president in 2024[4][6][5]
- Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary-designate of State, U.S. senator from Florida (2011–present), speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2006–2008), member of the Florida House of Representatives (2000–2008), candidate for president in 2016[4]
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas (2023–present), White House press secretary (2017–2019), White House deputy press secretary (2017)[3][4][5]
- Tim Scott, U.S. senator from South Carolina (2013–present), U.S. representative from South Carolina (2011–2013), member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (2009–2011), member of the Charleston County Council (1995–2009), candidate for president in 2024[4][5]
- Elise Stefanik, U.S. ambassador-designate to the United Nations, U.S. representative from New York (2015–present)[4]
Democratic Party
[edit]Potential candidates
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Andy Beshear
[edit]Andy Beshear has served as the governor of Kentucky since 2019 and is expected to finish his second term in 2027, when term limits prevent him from running for reelection. According to The Washington Post, Beshear formed a political action committee in January 2024 to increase his national profile.[7] During the 2024 presidential election, Beshear was floated as a potential replacement candidate for Joe Biden before his withdrawal, and was vetted for the role of Kamala Harris' running mate.[8][9] Beshear would continue to campaign for Harris, notably visiting early primary states Iowa and New Hampshire.[10][11]
Since the election, Beshear released an op-ed in The New York Times outlining potential pathways for Democratic victory in future elections.[12] In the essay, Beshear specifically outlined his support of LGBT rights during his tenure, pushing back on other post-mortem assessments made by other Democrats.[13] In response to ongoing speculation about his political ambitions, Beshear has stated in an interview with WDKY-TV that he will "see what the future holds", without explicitly ruling out a potential presidential run.[14]
Pete Buttigieg
[edit]Pete Buttigieg has served as the United States secretary of transportation since 2021, with his term expected to finish in 2025 as the second Trump administration takes office. Buttigieg previously ran for the presidency in 2020, becoming a national figure when he won a plurality of delegates the Iowa caucus.[15] Buttigieg was floated as a potential successor to Joe Biden should he withdraw from the 2024 race, and was speculated as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris after Biden withdrew.[16][17][18] Buttigieg gained notoriety during Biden's term as an effective communicator and frequently spoke across party lines, often appearing on Fox News as an advocate for the Biden administration.[19]
Kamala Harris
[edit]Kamala Harris has served as the vice president of the United States since 2021, with her term set to end on January 20, 2025. She was the Democratic Party's nominee for president following the withdrawal of Joe Biden, eventually losing to Donald Trump.[20] Harris, who has the largest donor network in the Democratic Party, may run for the presidency again in 2028 according to The New York Times and Politico, although her loss in the previous election could potentially give her a disadvantage.[20][11] According to USA Today, Harris intended to run in 2028 before Biden's withdrawal.[21]
In November 2024, Politico reported that Harris is considering running for president in 2028 or for governor of California in 2026.[22] Harris has come first by a wide margin in polls of the prospective Democratic candidates in 2028. An Emerson poll conducted in November 2024 found her with 37% of support, with other candidates in the single digits.[6]
Wes Moore
[edit]Wes Moore has served as the governor of Maryland since 2023. Moore has been frequently named as a potential contender for the nomination in 2028, including by The New York Times and The Hill.[19][23] Though he campaigned frequently for the Harris campaign, he has not offered many national interviews since the election.[24]
Gavin Newsom
[edit]Gavin Newsom has served as the governor of California since 2019 and is expected to finish his second term in 2027, when term limits prevent him from running for reelection. Ahead of the 2024 election, Newsom was alleged to be secretly running against Joe Biden in what The Guardian called a "shadow campaign". Through 2023, Newsom donated to political action committees and a mayoral election in Charleston, South Carolina, a key primary state.[25] On November 30, 2023, Gavin Newsom debated Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who was running for president at the time.[26]
During the 2024 election, Newsom publicly backed Joe Biden amid calls for his withdrawal in July of 2024.[27] Newsom was named as a potential replacement candidate for Joe Biden.[16] During the election, Newsom toured Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania for the Biden campaign, with many political insiders commenting that his support could be an attempt to curry favor with the national Democratic Party.[27] Shortly after the election, Newsom called for a special session in the California state legislature to provide legal resources in opposition to the Trump administration, building his profile as an anti-Trump politician.[28][29]
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
[edit]Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has served as the U.S. representative from New York's 14th congressional district since 2019. She was named as a candidate for 2024 even before the 2020 election, both as a successor to Joe Biden if he did not run for a second term or as a primary challenger if he did.[30][31] Amid calls for Joe Biden to drop out following the first presidential debate, Ocasio-Cortez supported Biden's reelection campaign.[32] Following the election, she has been proposed as a candidate in 2028 by an article in Slate and listed as a potential candidate in The Hill.[33][19] Several Republicans responded to The Hill article, including her former colleague Matt Gaetz, who claimed that Ocasio-Cortez has said "she's running in 2028 since 2019." Representative Tim Burchett warned Republicans against "underestimating" her.[34]
J. B. Pritzker
[edit]J. B. Pritzker has served as the governor of Illinois since 2019. Along with Gavin Newsom, Pritzker also donated to the 2023 Charleston, South Carolina mayoral race, signaling presidential ambitions.[35] Pritzker was mentioned as a potential replacement candidate for Joe Biden and was vetted as a running mate for Kamala Harris in 2024.[16][36] Following the election, Pritzker announced that he would protect Illinois against the incoming Trump administration.[37] When asked about a run for reelection in 2026 or a run for president in 2028, Pritzker declined to give any specifics. In response to the statements, the Illinois Republican Party stated that he "might as well have announced his 2028 campaign for the Presidency".[38]
Josh Shapiro
[edit]Josh Shapiro has served as the governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. Shapiro was named as a potential replacement nominee for Joe Biden prior to his withdrawal.[16] He was also one of two finalists for Kamala Harris' running mate, though Harris would pick Minnesota governor Tim Walz.
Shapiro has been one of the most popular currently serving politicians in Pennsylvania, a key swing state.
Raphael Warnock
[edit]Raphael Warnock has served as a U.S. senator from Georgia since 2021.
Gretchen Whitmer
[edit]Gretchen Whitmer has served as the governor of Michigan since 2019 and is expected to finish her second term in 2027, when term limits prevent her from running for reelection. In the 2024 election, Whitmer supported the Biden campaign following calls for him to withdraw.[39] She was also named as a potential replacement candidate for Joe Biden. She withdrew her name from consideration for Kamala Harris' running mate.
Other candidates
[edit]These following individuals have been listed as a potential candidate by at least one reliable news source or poll, while not being the subject of immense speculation.
- Michael Bennet, U.S. senator from Colorado (2009–present), superintendent of Denver Public Schools (2005–2009), candidate for president in 2020[40]
- Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present), mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2006–2013), member of the Newark Municipal Council (1998–2002), candidate for president in 2020[41]
- Roy Cooper, governor of North Carolina (2017–present), attorney general of North Carolina (2001–2017), majority leader of the North Carolina Senate (1997–2001), member of the North Carolina Senate (1991–2001), member of the North Carolina House of Representatives (1987–1991)[42]
- Ruben Gallego, U.S. senator-elect from Arizona, U.S. representative from Arizona (2015–present), member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2011–2014)[41]
- Mark Kelly, U.S. senator from Arizona (2020–present)[41]
- Ro Khanna, U.S. representative from California (2017–present)[40][41]
- Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator from Minnesota (2007–present), county attorney of Hennepin County (1999–2007), candidate for president in 2020[40]
- Chris Murphy, U.S. senator from Connecticut (2013–present), U.S. representative from Connecticut (2007–2013), member of Connecticut State Senate (2003–2007), member of the Connecticut House of Representatives (1999–2003)[41]
- Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States (2009–2017)[6]
- Jon Ossoff, U.S. senator from Georgia (2021–present)[41]
- Dean Phillips, U.S. representative from Minnesota (2019–present), candidate for president in 2024[43]
- Jared Polis, governor of Colorado (2019–present), U.S. representative from Colorado (2009–2019), member of the Colorado State Board of Education (2001–2007)[41]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont (2007–present), U.S. representative from Vermont (1991–2007), mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981–1989), candidate for president in 2016 and 2020 (Independent)[6]
- Rashida Tlaib, U.S. representative from Michigan (2019–present), member of the Michigan House of Representatives (2009–2014)[6]
- Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota (2019–present), U.S. representative from Minnesota (2007–2019), nominee for vice president in 2024[11]
Declined to be candidates
[edit]- Mark Cuban, billionaire and businessman, co-owner of the Dallas Mavericks, co-founder of 2929 Entertainment[41]
- John Fetterman, U.S. senator from Pennsylvania (2023–present), lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania (2019–2023), mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania (2006–2019)[41]
References
[edit]- ^ Brufke, Juliegrace; Allen, Mike (2023-05-22). "Scoop: Glenn Youngkin reconsiders 2024 GOP presidential bid". Axios. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Wallace, Jeremy (2024-07-16). "Inside the RNC: If Abbott is going to run for president in 2028, it starts now". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b Wrobleski, Tom (2024-11-11). "After Trump: here are the Republicans who could run for president in 2028". silive. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hall, Jason (2024-11-25). "Republicans' Favorite Pick For 2028 Election Revealed". iHeart. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b c d Dixon, Matt (2024-11-07). "Trump's win maintains his hold on the GOP. It also kicks off plans for a succession". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ a b c d e Oriel, Cat. "New Survey Reveals Who Frontrunners Are For 2028 Democratic And Republican Nominations: Emerson Pollster". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Grapevine, Rebecca. "Beshear for president? How Kentucky's governor is building national recognition". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Periera, Ivan (2024-07-04). "Who will replace Joe Biden as presidential nominee? Kamala Harris does best against Trump in polls". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Dixon, Matt; Doyle, Katherine (2024-07-24). "With Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Democrats eye a VP pick who can win over blue-collar voters". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Horn, Austin (2024-06-18). "Andy Beshear is going to Iowa. Is that a precursor for a presidential run?". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b c Wren, Adam; Cadelago, Christopher; Kashinsky, Lisa; Otterbein, Holly; Schneider, Elena (2024-11-11). "Who will lead Democrats in 2028? Meet the leaders positioning themselves to make moves". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Beshear, Andy (2024-11-12). "I'm the Governor of Kentucky. Here's How Democrats Can Win Again". The New York Times.
- ^ Riedel, Samantha (2024-11-13). "Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to Fellow Democrats: Don't Throw Trans People Under the Bus". Them. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Powell, Curadhan (2024-11-10). "'We'll see what the future holds': Gov. Beshear comments on possible 2028 presidential run". WLKY. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J.; Gabriel, Trip (2020-02-07). "How Pete Buttigieg Became the Surprise of the Iowa Caucuses". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Craig, Gregory B. (2024-07-02). "Opinion | It's Not Too Late to Replace Biden and Defeat Trump". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (2024-07-03). "Sure, an Open Competition to Replace Biden Would Be Divisive and Chaotic. But So What?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Nazzaro, Miranda (2024-07-23). "Pete Buttigieg open to being Kamala Harris's running mate". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ a b c Parnes, Amie (2024-11-29). "Ranking the Democrats: Here's who the party could nominate next as president". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b Epstein, Reid J.; Rogers, Katie; Green, Erica L. (2024-11-07). "What's Next for Kamala Harris? Here Are Six Options". The New York Times.
- ^ Chambers, Francesca. "Burdened by what had been: Kamala Harris couldn't convince voters". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Cadelago, Christopher; Daniels, Eugene (2024-11-25). "Harris is telling her advisers and allies to keep her political options open". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Glueck, Katie (2024-11-30). "For Rising Democrats, the Quiet Race to Lead the Party Began Months Ago". The New York Times.
- ^ Janesch, Sam (2024-11-12). "Who's going to lead the Democratic Party after defeat? Why Wes Moore's name is coming up". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Luscombe, Richard (2023-11-12). "Newsom 2024: could the California governor be a rival to Joe Biden?". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Cadelago, Christopher (2023-12-01). "The tragedy of the Newsom-DeSantis debate". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ a b Koseff, Alexei (2024-07-19). "Gavin Newsom is 'all in' for Biden as defections grow. He's playing the 'long game'". CalMatters. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Koseff, Alexei; Kuang, Jeanne (2024-11-07). "Newsom calls special session to 'Trump-proof' California". CalMatters. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Gardiner, Dustin (2024-11-08). "Gavin Newsom's quest to 'Trump-proof' California enrages incoming president". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Bucchino, Rachel (2020-07-26). "AOC 2024: Will Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Run for President?". The National Interest. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Stanage, Niall (2022-07-29). "The Memo: No, really — What if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez runs for president?". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Kapur, Sahil (2024-07-20). "AOC rallies to Biden's side as progressives split over backing his 2024 campaign". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (2024-11-13). "Why Not AOC?". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ "Is Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez planning for 2028 US presidential bid? Netizens react". The Times of India. 2024-11-30. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Thompson, Alex (2023-11-06). "Scoop: Newsom, Pritzker signal White House ambitions in donations to S. Carolina candidate". Axios. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Spector, Zak (2024-08-01). "Pritzker has had at least 2 vetting interviews as possible running mate for Kamala Harris - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Cotton, Max (2024-11-07). "Gov. Pritzker vows to protect Illinoisans regardless of what future Trump administration does". WGEM. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Vinicky, Amanda (2024-11-04). "Pritzker Says Illinois Democrats Discussing How to 'Shore Up' Protections Ahead of a Second Trump Presidency". WTTW News. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ Martin, Jonathan (2024-07-01). "Whitmer Disavows 'Draft Gretch' Movement — and Delivers A Warning to Biden". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ a b c "Ready for 2028? Democratic hopefuls are secretly trying to build momentum". The Independent. 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Allan; Korecki, Natasha; Seitz-Wald, Alex (2024-11-16). "Democratic jockeying for the 2028 presidential election is already underway". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
- ^ Sentner, Irie (2024-12-07). "Democratic governors (and 2028 hopefuls) gather to chart path under a Trump administration". POLITICO. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ Nicholson, Jonathan (2024-11-21). "Dean Phillips, Early Challenger To Biden In 2024: I Would Do It All Again". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-12-15.