Exploring Future Democratic Leaders: Who's Positioning Themselves for 2028?
For the emerging leaders within the Democratic Party, Donald Trump's victory brought about a silver lining amidst the challenges they faced.
TroibNews 
Josh Shapiro is receiving encouragement from Pennsylvania Democratic Party leaders to consider a presidential run. Meanwhile, Gavin Newsom organized a Friday call with approximately 50,000 individuals from his small-donor network and initiated a special legislative session aimed at protecting California from Donald Trump’s influence. Pete Buttigieg is preparing to highlight his accomplishments in the Cabinet during a series of events as he concludes his official duties.
Just days after the presidential race, Democrats are already engaging in self-reflection on their electoral defeat and shifting their focus to potential candidates for 2028.
Kamala Harris has not ruled out the possibility of running again and established herself as a key figure in the opposition to Trumpism during her concession speech at Howard University. However, other prominent Democrats are already exploring their prospects, assessing their fundraising capabilities, and positioning themselves as leaders in the resistance against Trump at the state level.
The aftermath of Trump’s victory has provided a silver lining for emerging Democratic leaders who feared being sidelined for an extended period. With Harris’s defeat, there’s a renewed opportunity for a wave of new talent to emerge in a party seeking to reclaim its direction.
“The public 2028 campaign starts the first day Trump is in office, when he signs his first executive order,” remarked Dan Sena, a consultant who previously led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “But the behind-the-scenes work starts today; the moving and maneuvering is well underway now.”
The upcoming primary landscape, reminiscent of 2020, has the potential to be extensive, featuring a mix of governors, lawmakers, and Cabinet members. Besides Harris, her former running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is gaining traction among those aligned with her.
“When Democrats start talking about 2028, six months ago, Walz's name wouldn't have been on the list; now it might be on the top,” commented a former Harris staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to evaluate the field.
Newsom, positioned among the frontrunners, stands to gain significantly from Harris’s loss, thanks to the overlapping support networks in California. With his term concluding in two years, he has long been viewed as a potential presidential candidate and has been preparing for a moment when he could run unopposed. Few within the party appear as prepared to embark on a national campaign.
As a prominent figure in the anti-Trump movement, Newsom commands a full-fledged political operation, which includes Harris’s lead pollster and several of her advisers. He has raised $151 million since 2020 for himself and various causes and possesses a substantial small-donor list featuring nearly 30 million contacts while also maintaining connections with some of the country’s wealthiest contributors.
In light of his party’s current challenges, Newsom is stepping up, reconvening his Democratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento for a special session focused on protecting the state from Trump’s policies on climate change, immigration, and reproductive rights — encompassing issues like abortion bans and federal disaster aid.
However, Newsom and his team are cautious about appearing overly eager, recognizing that Democrats may be fatigued by continual campaigning. Instead, he aims to stress the policy ramifications of a potential Trump return, particularly for liberal California, which he believes will be a primary target.
On the political front, Newsom is reactivating his volunteer network, which has sent a total of 33 million texts and conducted 85,000 calls encouraging Democratic turnout in the presidential race since June. He hosted a Zoom call late Friday for his supporters, during which he expressed his commitment to defending the state from Trump, emphasizing that partisanship should not be the sole motive for political engagement.
“I revere this country, I revere the presidency, and I want our president to succeed and our job — my job — is not to wake up every single day and get a crowbar and try to put it in the spokes of the wheel of the Trump administration,” Newsom stated. “In that spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist, that's how we want to proceed. That said … I'm not naive either, and we're pragmatic and we will stand firm.”
Additionally, other potential candidates, including Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, are entering the conversation alongside Buttigieg and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Following Harris’s loss, Shapiro has been viewed by some Democratic officials as a possible savior, with questions arising about whether he could have helped deliver Pennsylvania if he had been her running mate. His national prominence has grown, as he has raised $9 million for his gubernatorial campaign, gearing up for a 2026 reelection bid. However, his influence in Pennsylvania did not prevent Harris from losing the state.
Buttigieg has not definitively ruled out a 2028 run, nor has he dismissed the possibility of seeking the Michigan governorship in 2026 after moving to the state. The outgoing transportation secretary has revived his fundraising efforts, demonstrating he still holds sway, having raised $16 million for Harris and President Biden — slightly exceeding Newsom’s contributions for their campaign. In the campaign's final days, he traveled across key states, checking in on various Democratic races.
At 42, Buttigieg has the option to wait before launching another campaign, but his adeptness in communicating on hostile media platforms could enhance his visibility in an increasingly conservative political landscape. Even while campaigning for Michigan candidates, he encountered requests from party members urging him to consider higher office himself. During a visit to a party headquarters, a supporter expressed, “We want to see you as president in our life,” prompting a smile from Buttigieg.
He is expected to conclude his Cabinet role by highlighting both his achievements and those of the Biden administration in upcoming events, including a return to his alma mater for a fireside chat at the Harvard University Institute of Politics, where he'll also discuss challenges facing future administrations.
Throughout the year, many prominent Democratic figures campaigned in New Hampshire for Biden and Harris, continuing their visits even after it became clear that the state would remain firmly Democratic.
The list of candidates included established names like Buttigieg, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker, and Senator Michael Bennet, alongside rising talents. Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made summer visits aimed at bolstering Biden’s campaign and supporting Harris, respectively. Pritzker and Beshear also garnered attention during campaign events. Just days before the election, it was Shapiro’s turn to visit.
Many of these figures, in addition to others like Maryland Governor Wes Moore, dedicated part of their Democratic National Convention efforts to New Hampshire, underscoring their aspirations. Representative Ro Khanna, a frequent visitor to the state, even sponsored breakfast events during the convention.
The emphasis on New Hampshire reflects both an acknowledgment of future ambitions and a counter to Biden’s efforts to move the state down the primary calendar, reaffirming its significance in the presidential nomination process.
“My view is, we've got an incredible group of talented folks in the Democratic bench,” Khanna remarked in August after addressing New Hampshire’s DNC delegation. “And hopefully we will have our moment of leadership.”
Some candidates have chosen to downplay their ambitions during their New Hampshire visits. For instance, Whitmer stated that while she might return, it wouldn’t be in a political context.
However, Beshear leveraged his prominent platform at a Democratic event to outline his credentials and those of Harris, proclaiming, “If I can introduce myself just a little bit, I’m the guy who last November beat Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate. And I’m the guy who last November picked Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate.” His remarks resonated with attendees as he promoted his identity as a pro-union, pro-choice, and pro-public education Democrat in a predominantly Republican state.
Activists present at these gatherings are already evaluating potential candidates for the future.
Encouragingly, local Democratic activist Maura Willing expressed admiration for Shapiro during a campaign stop.
“Shapiro is fantastic,” she commented when asked about his presidential aspirations. “We have so many great people. But if he was on the candidate list, yeah, absolutely … I’d support him.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Just days after the presidential race, Democrats are already engaging in self-reflection on their electoral defeat and shifting their focus to potential candidates for 2028.
Kamala Harris has not ruled out the possibility of running again and established herself as a key figure in the opposition to Trumpism during her concession speech at Howard University. However, other prominent Democrats are already exploring their prospects, assessing their fundraising capabilities, and positioning themselves as leaders in the resistance against Trump at the state level.
The aftermath of Trump’s victory has provided a silver lining for emerging Democratic leaders who feared being sidelined for an extended period. With Harris’s defeat, there’s a renewed opportunity for a wave of new talent to emerge in a party seeking to reclaim its direction.
“The public 2028 campaign starts the first day Trump is in office, when he signs his first executive order,” remarked Dan Sena, a consultant who previously led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “But the behind-the-scenes work starts today; the moving and maneuvering is well underway now.”
The upcoming primary landscape, reminiscent of 2020, has the potential to be extensive, featuring a mix of governors, lawmakers, and Cabinet members. Besides Harris, her former running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is gaining traction among those aligned with her.
“When Democrats start talking about 2028, six months ago, Walz's name wouldn't have been on the list; now it might be on the top,” commented a former Harris staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to evaluate the field.
Newsom, positioned among the frontrunners, stands to gain significantly from Harris’s loss, thanks to the overlapping support networks in California. With his term concluding in two years, he has long been viewed as a potential presidential candidate and has been preparing for a moment when he could run unopposed. Few within the party appear as prepared to embark on a national campaign.
As a prominent figure in the anti-Trump movement, Newsom commands a full-fledged political operation, which includes Harris’s lead pollster and several of her advisers. He has raised $151 million since 2020 for himself and various causes and possesses a substantial small-donor list featuring nearly 30 million contacts while also maintaining connections with some of the country’s wealthiest contributors.
In light of his party’s current challenges, Newsom is stepping up, reconvening his Democratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento for a special session focused on protecting the state from Trump’s policies on climate change, immigration, and reproductive rights — encompassing issues like abortion bans and federal disaster aid.
However, Newsom and his team are cautious about appearing overly eager, recognizing that Democrats may be fatigued by continual campaigning. Instead, he aims to stress the policy ramifications of a potential Trump return, particularly for liberal California, which he believes will be a primary target.
On the political front, Newsom is reactivating his volunteer network, which has sent a total of 33 million texts and conducted 85,000 calls encouraging Democratic turnout in the presidential race since June. He hosted a Zoom call late Friday for his supporters, during which he expressed his commitment to defending the state from Trump, emphasizing that partisanship should not be the sole motive for political engagement.
“I revere this country, I revere the presidency, and I want our president to succeed and our job — my job — is not to wake up every single day and get a crowbar and try to put it in the spokes of the wheel of the Trump administration,” Newsom stated. “In that spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist, that's how we want to proceed. That said … I'm not naive either, and we're pragmatic and we will stand firm.”
Additionally, other potential candidates, including Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, are entering the conversation alongside Buttigieg and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Following Harris’s loss, Shapiro has been viewed by some Democratic officials as a possible savior, with questions arising about whether he could have helped deliver Pennsylvania if he had been her running mate. His national prominence has grown, as he has raised $9 million for his gubernatorial campaign, gearing up for a 2026 reelection bid. However, his influence in Pennsylvania did not prevent Harris from losing the state.
Buttigieg has not definitively ruled out a 2028 run, nor has he dismissed the possibility of seeking the Michigan governorship in 2026 after moving to the state. The outgoing transportation secretary has revived his fundraising efforts, demonstrating he still holds sway, having raised $16 million for Harris and President Biden — slightly exceeding Newsom’s contributions for their campaign. In the campaign's final days, he traveled across key states, checking in on various Democratic races.
At 42, Buttigieg has the option to wait before launching another campaign, but his adeptness in communicating on hostile media platforms could enhance his visibility in an increasingly conservative political landscape. Even while campaigning for Michigan candidates, he encountered requests from party members urging him to consider higher office himself. During a visit to a party headquarters, a supporter expressed, “We want to see you as president in our life,” prompting a smile from Buttigieg.
He is expected to conclude his Cabinet role by highlighting both his achievements and those of the Biden administration in upcoming events, including a return to his alma mater for a fireside chat at the Harvard University Institute of Politics, where he'll also discuss challenges facing future administrations.
Throughout the year, many prominent Democratic figures campaigned in New Hampshire for Biden and Harris, continuing their visits even after it became clear that the state would remain firmly Democratic.
The list of candidates included established names like Buttigieg, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker, and Senator Michael Bennet, alongside rising talents. Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made summer visits aimed at bolstering Biden’s campaign and supporting Harris, respectively. Pritzker and Beshear also garnered attention during campaign events. Just days before the election, it was Shapiro’s turn to visit.
Many of these figures, in addition to others like Maryland Governor Wes Moore, dedicated part of their Democratic National Convention efforts to New Hampshire, underscoring their aspirations. Representative Ro Khanna, a frequent visitor to the state, even sponsored breakfast events during the convention.
The emphasis on New Hampshire reflects both an acknowledgment of future ambitions and a counter to Biden’s efforts to move the state down the primary calendar, reaffirming its significance in the presidential nomination process.
“My view is, we've got an incredible group of talented folks in the Democratic bench,” Khanna remarked in August after addressing New Hampshire’s DNC delegation. “And hopefully we will have our moment of leadership.”
Some candidates have chosen to downplay their ambitions during their New Hampshire visits. For instance, Whitmer stated that while she might return, it wouldn’t be in a political context.
However, Beshear leveraged his prominent platform at a Democratic event to outline his credentials and those of Harris, proclaiming, “If I can introduce myself just a little bit, I’m the guy who last November beat Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate. And I’m the guy who last November picked Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate.” His remarks resonated with attendees as he promoted his identity as a pro-union, pro-choice, and pro-public education Democrat in a predominantly Republican state.
Activists present at these gatherings are already evaluating potential candidates for the future.
Encouragingly, local Democratic activist Maura Willing expressed admiration for Shapiro during a campaign stop.
“Shapiro is fantastic,” she commented when asked about his presidential aspirations. “We have so many great people. But if he was on the candidate list, yeah, absolutely … I’d support him.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
