We're still a few months short of the 2026 midterm elections, but speculation is already rife about who might run for president in 2028. Some people have already expressed an interest, and the names of many others are being mentioned by political pundits.
The New York Times gives us a list of those who might run (and you can expect that list to grow in the coming months). Here are the early possibles for both political parties:
But there is another Democratic governor who is quietly planning on running for president - Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Beshear has been elected governor twice in a bright red state. That's a pretty remarkable feat - and means he should get at least some consideration from Democratic voters.
Here are some quotes from Beshear from Politico.com:
“I wouldn’t underestimate me. If people want to underestimate me, I’m used to it, and it drives me.”
“Democratic primary voters are going to be, number one, focused on electability. Who do we believe has the best chance of beating J.D. Vance?”
“I’m a guy who has won three straight statewide elections in a Trump plus-30 state. I think it’s a mixture of both electability and the idea that, here’s somebody that not only could win in a purple state, he wins in a red state.”
“You both want somebody who’s electable, but then somebody who can deliver.”
“Democrats and a lot of Republicans are going to look for someone who can right the ship, hopefully who can heal the country and who can get us past our McCarthyism moment and back to a more stable time.”
“See, I think by the time that we reach 2028, the country is going to be tired. And they’re going to be so tired of what Trump has done, the idea of having a Democratic version of Trump is more than that — it’s exhausting.”
“I’m a pro-business, pro-union Democrat that vetoed an anti-trans bill. So you know, I believe in standing up for people’s rights. I believe strongly in them. At the same time, I spent 80 percent of my time on jobs, infrastructure, healthcare, public safety and public education.”
“As we look at our future energy needs, we need a more realistic approach. And that realistic approach is that older forms of energy production aren’t going to go offline as quickly as some Democrats wanted them.”
“We can’t be preachy Democrats that say: ‘You might not feel safe, but look at the statistics.’”
“I describe myself as pragmatic.”
“I think when we look, especially at the federal government, which [Trump is] decimating, he’s burning to the ground, you don’t just say, we’re going to rebuild it all back as it was before. You build something more efficient, you build something more effective."
“Part of working with the African American community is the recognition that I will never be able to feel the weight of racism, of Jim Crow, the scars that are still carried. And I think if you admit that, and you’re willing to have these conversations, that you can build trust.”
We are still at least a year and a half away from the race getting serious for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. But there is already talk about who that nominee could be.
Julia Mueller in The Hill gives us a list of the most likely presidential hopefuls for Democrats. Here are her frontrunners:
