The 2026 midterm elections will barely be in the history books before the 2028 presidential primary season begins in earnest.
With Democrats still undecided about their ideal nominee, this midterm cycle offers a preview of which party figures are building momentum and laying the groundwork for a potential White House run.
Top Democrats are criss-crossing the country to campaign for candidates in close races that could determine majority control in Congress.
While these Democrats haven’t confirmed their 2028 aspirations, their extensive campaigning serves a dual purpose: they support fellow party members in competitive races while simultaneously building name recognition with voters ahead of the presidential primary season.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently told CNN that despite her brutal 2024 loss to President Donald Trump, she’s considering running again.
“I go back and forth. I honestly go back and forth,” she said. “There’s so many factors.”
Harris has made stops in Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and several other states to campaign for Democrats this year.
People have mixed reviews of Harris making what would be her third presidential bid. Some say she’s the best fit for the Democratic Party’s nomination after her whirlwind campaign once former President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. Others say she’s too tarnished after the loss to Trump and the party needs someone new to be competitive against the Republican nominee come 2028.
Still, her conversation with CNN about how she feels compelled to make a difference makes it seem like she’ll throw her hat in.
“How can I sit at home in the comfort of my home when I know there are things I can do to help? I don’t know any other life but that,” Harris said.
Peter Loge, the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, said Harris earns some bonus points among Democrats because the 2024 presidential election results were heartbreaking for many in the party.
“There’s a bit of nostalgia,” he said.
Other potential candidates include California Gov. Gavin Newsom. He’s also traveled to various spots across the country, including Mississippi, North Carolina and New Hampsire.
Newsom has been viewed as a leader in the Democratic Party for years. He’s frequently discussed as a potential future candidate and has acknowledged contemplating a bid in the future.
Newsom hasn’t launched a presidential bid before, opting not to run in 2024 and supporting Biden. However, if Harris does indeed launch a 2028 campaign, Newsom stated in September that he would not run.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is also viewed as a 2028 contender. His time serving in the Biden administration and ability to debate with right-leaning figures has put him on the national radar after starting out as an Indiana mayor.
In 2020, Buttigieg was one of several in the crowded Democratic presidential primaries after Trump’s first term. He’s made stops in Minnesota, Michigan, Georgia and more to stump for Democrats on the campaign trail this year.
While he’s churned up enthusiasm from some voters, there is speculation that should he make it through the primary process, he’d face a difficult time in the general election as possibly the first openly gay president.
Another younger candidate who would be a dramatic change from Biden, who was 78 when he was inaugurated, is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who is 37.
Ocasio-Cortez made a name for herself as a progressive in Congress. She quickly became popular among the party’s younger base and might end up being the Democrat that’s made the most stops in different states to rally for candidates this fall. She also made headlines earlier this month when she transferred $1 million of her campaign funds to support Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, which is a rare moment of campaign-to-candidate financial transfers.
Like Buttigieg, should Ocasio-Cortez advance through the primary if she runs, she might face a tough time in the general election among independent voters and moderate Democrats after being so bullish about her progressivism.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear might be able to win over those more moderate voters, though. He’s a Democrat who has been consistently elected to state-level office in a deeply conservative state. Beshear, at an event last week, said he did not have “an announcement today” about a potential run.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who was also at the event and viewed as a 2028 contender, said he hasn’t made a decision yet. Kelly is being discussed as a possible nominee because he has proven his ability to win in a critical swing state.
Kelly, representing a border state, has broken with his party at times, calling for border enforcement and pragmatic immigration reform. Additionally, after his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt, Kelly, a gun owner and veteran, frames the Second Amendment around gun safety and responsibility.
Kelly, at a campaign stop Wednesday in Maine, joked that he’d have to talk with his boss, Gabby, about running. He admitted that he’s considering making a bid and said he would “make a decision after this election sometime.”
The senator went on to say that he’s served the country in all his previous roles as a veteran and NASA astronaut and now in Congress, describing it as “by far, the most important job I’ve ever had.”He said he would continue to think about a run.
Jason Perry, the director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, noted that Democrats “don’t have a shortage of people who might run” in 2028.
“What they don’t have is a clear agreement on who should lead them or what direction the party should take,” he said.
Candidates wanting to run for the White House will typically register with the Federal Election Commission around the spring of the year before an election, meaning there might be a clearer view – and not just speculation – of what the Democratic primary will look like in just a few months.
On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance has largely been viewed as Trump’s heir to the MAGA movement.
According to a recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics survey, about 51% of respondents say Vance is the candidate they’d most like to see receive the Republican Party’s nomination for 2028.
The midterm elections could help or hurt Vance’s 2028 chances.
If it’s a “complete repudiation of Trump” this year, Vance might be in a difficult position as one of the top choices to be Trump’s successor. If Democrats aren’t extremely successful and the races are “really close” and Republicans keep control of the Senate, Vance and the MAGA movement might see a clear path forward, Loge said.
Another option for the GOP is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is viewed as a more traditional-style Republican.
While they both are top names being tossed around, others surely could jump in and make it a crowded primary should Trump not merely pass the torch to Vance.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties currently are, and will in the future, navigating shifting internal dynamics as progressive candidates win in races across the country and Republicans prepare for the next era after Trump.
“I think both parties are trying to come to grips with what the direction for the future is and how to keep their family together,” Perry said.
About the Author
