By Tim Reid
May 19 (Reuters) - Democratic contenders are already jockeying for a 2028 presidential run, signaling an open race with no clear party standard-bearer in the fight to succeed Republican President Donald Trump.
Governors, senators and former candidates are fanning out to traditional early‑voting states, courting donors and rolling out books — familiar steps toward a White House run against Republicans’ eventual nominee to succeed the term-limited Trump.
No one has formally entered the race
for the November 2028 vote, but maneuvering has begun. The Democratic nominating contest will take shape after the 2026 midterm elections this November.
Here are those generating the most buzz, grouped by category and listed alphabetically.
GOVERNORS
Several Democratic governors are seen as potential contenders, drawing early attention through travel, fundraising and growing national profiles.
ANDY BESHEAR
The Kentucky governor became chair of the Democratic Governors Association this year, giving him a platform to promote his record in a heavily Republican state.
He has more than $1.2 million in his political action committee and has visited South Carolina, likely a key early primary state.
Asked in an interview on MS NOW this month whether he was comfortable being talked about as a potential 2028 candidate, he replied, "I’m comfortable in that."
Strengths: He has been elected twice in a state Trump won by over 30 percentage points in 2024.
Vulnerabilities: He is not well known outside Kentucky, and his more bipartisan approach to politics may not appeal to Democratic primary voters. Opinion polls show many believe their party does not fight hard enough against Trump and his policies.
GAVIN NEWSOM
California's governor released a memoir in February and has also visited South Carolina. He has over $4 million in his political action committee, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Newsom told CBS News Sunday Morning in October that after the midterm elections he would give serious thought to running in 2028.
Strengths: Newsom has built a national profile through sharp criticism of Trump.
Vulnerabilities: California has some of the highest gasoline prices, taxes and homelessness rates in the U.S., issues that Republicans would likely seek to capitalize on if he ran.
JB PRITZKER
The Illinois governor has traveled to likely early primary states including New Hampshire and Nevada and has not ruled out a presidential bid. He said in April he was focused on his 2026 gubernatorial reelection campaign, but then added, "I'm gonna be more involved than ever before in 2028 because we can't lose."
Strengths: Pritzker has gained a national profile by criticizing Trump's deployment of National Guard troops and federal immigration agents to U.S. cities. An heir to the Hyatt hotel empire, Pritzker is a billionaire, giving him the ability to be less reliant on donors.
Vulnerabilities: His wealth could open him to attacks from rivals casting him as out of step with voters facing economic hardship - or overly reliant on his personal fortune.
JOSH SHAPIRO
The Pennsylvania governor released a memoir this year and has about $36 million cash on hand for his gubernatorial reelection bid this November.
When asked about a potential presidential bid in April, Shapiro said Democrats will need to have a conversation about the country's direction after the midterm elections this November. "And I'll be a part of that conversation," he added.
Strengths: Shapiro is a popular governor in a key presidential swing state that Trump won in 2024.
Vulnerabilities: Shapiro, who is Jewish, is viewed as a pro-Israel Democrat at a time when criticism of Israel is rising among Democrats over Israel's wars in Gaza and Iran, although he opposes the U.S.- and Israeli-led war against Iran.
Other governors mentioned as possible contenders include Maryland's Wes Moore - although he has said he is not running - and Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, who has played down the prospect.
PAST NATIONAL CANDIDATES
Two Democrats with prior presidential runs have taken early steps or openly discussed another bid.
PETE BUTTIGIEG
Buttigieg, who was unsuccessful in his 2020 bid to become the Democratic nominee, was transportation secretary under Biden. He has over $5 million in his political action committee and has traveled to the potentially early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
Strengths: Buttigieg is viewed as a sharp debater and has not been afraid to criticize Republicans on their own turf, including on the conservative Fox News channel.
Vulnerabilities: In his unsuccessful 2020 bid, he performed poorly with Black voters, a key party voting bloc. He has little executive experience, having served only as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, before becoming a cabinet secretary.
KAMALA HARRIS
The former vice president has been the most explicit about running again after losing to Trump in 2024. "I might. I might. I am thinking about it," she said in April.
Strengths: Harris has high name recognition and is polling well among Democratic voters in early 2028 surveys.
Vulnerabilities: If Harris runs again it would be her third presidential bid. Candidates who have previously run and lost are often viewed skeptically by primary voters. Her ties to former President Joe Biden may also be problematic as some Democrats have argued that his delayed exit from the 2024 race hurt the party’s chances.
U.S. SENATORS
A number of Democratic U.S. senators have fueled 2028 speculation, though only one, Mark Kelly of Arizona, has drawn sustained early scrutiny. The others include Arizona's Ruben Gallego, Connecticut's Chris Murphy, Georgia's Jon Ossoff and New Jersey's Cory Booker.
MARK KELLY
Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy pilot, has the largest cash stockpile of any potential 2028 Democratic candidate - over $22 million in his principal congressional committee, according to FEC filings. He has visited South Carolina and Iowa. He has not ruled out a 2028 run.
Strengths: He has won elected office in Arizona, a presidential swing state. He has credibility on gun reform as the husband of former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.
Vulnerabilities: Kelly may be too moderate for a Democratic primary, which tends to attract more progressive voters.
PROGRESSIVES
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
The U.S. representative from New York, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is one of the country's most prominent progressives and is seen as the likeliest heir to the movement that U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders built through his two presidential campaigns.
When asked in a May interview about her presidential ambitions, she did not rule out running. "My ambition is to change this country," she said.
Strengths: Known as AOC, she is popular with many Democratic voters and regularly draws enthusiastic crowds at her public appearances.
Vulnerabilities: Republicans frequently portray her as a leading figure on the party's left flank, pointing to her support for taxing the rich and government-funded programs.
Another potential progressive candidate is Ro Khanna, a U.S. representative from California, who said in March he will decide on a bid after November.
OTHERS
RAHM EMANUEL
Emanuel served as a U.S. representative from 2003 to 2009, White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2010, mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019, and ambassador to Japan from 2022 to 2025. In June 2025, he said he was considering a presidential run and has since argued in frequent media appearances that the party’s moderate wing needs renewal. He polls at roughly 1% among likely Democratic primary voters.
DARK HORSE CANDIDATES
History suggests that early polling and conventional wisdom can be misleading. Trump registered about 1% support among Republican primary voters when he launched his 2016 bid, while Bill Clinton polled below 1% in early Democratic surveys before winning the presidency in 1992.
(Reporting by Tim Reid in Washington; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
