Democratic jockeying for the 2028 presidential election is already underway

As the dust settles from Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat at the hands of President-elect Donald Trump, Democrats are already jockeying to emerge as the party’s next leader — looking to shape the opposition response to Trump’s second term and position themselves in the party’s 2028 presidential primary.

Democrats who spoke with NBC News are keeping their eyes on roughly two dozen party figures, including a number of governors and a handful of lawmakers who have carved out unique brands and attracted national followings, to see who may lead the party out of the coming wilderness.

In particular, the deep bench of Democratic governors elected in 2018 and 2022 has the benefit of distance from President Joe Biden’s administration and the ability to take on Trump with state executive authority in the coming years — a step several potential contenders are already taking in special legislative sessions, the launch of new advocacy groups and chest-beating statements.

Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist and former top official at the Democratic Governors Association, noted that while the Democratic governors who ran for president in 2020 were less well known, potential 2028 contenders like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “are all household names for most Democrats.”

“It will be key to see what the next year or two brings and what the shape of Democratic pushback to Trumpism is,” said Leopold, who worked on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign. “That will help determine who’s in a position to lead the party forward.”

Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist and former top official at the Democratic Governors Association, noted that while the Democratic governors who ran for president in 2020 were less well known, potential 2028 contenders like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “are all household names for most Democrats.”

“It will be key to see what the next year or two brings and what the shape of Democratic pushback to Trumpism is,” said Leopold, who worked on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign. “That will help determine who’s in a position to lead the party forward.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/democratic-jockeying-2028-presidential-election-already-underway-rcna179653