Democrats jockey for position in 2028 'invisible primary'
Prospective Democratic presidential candidates are ramping up speculation around their future aspirations, suggesting 2028 jockeying has already kicked off.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has launched a podcast, which included appearances from conservatives Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan all spoke at House Democrats’ retreat earlier this month. And former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg set off chatter about his plans when he opted against a run for Senate in Michigan.
The moves have been particularly notable as Democrats have struggled to unify around a coherent message after the election and as the party grapples with a void in leadership.
“There's a variety of ways to participate in the invisible primary: raising your profile, meeting donors, putting forth policy ideas, stating your principles,” Illinois Democratic strategist Tom Bowen said.
“Everybody should try everything because the status quo brought us failure in 2024,” he added.
Democrats are struggling to reset just months out from a disappointing election, and polling has shown feelings around the party are at its lowest levels in decades. An NBC poll released earlier this month showed 27 percent of respondents had positive feelings about the Democratic Party; the polling also showed the GOP’s brand underwater but performing better than Democrats at 39 percent.
A separate CNN poll this month showed 29 percent of respondents having a favorable opinion of Democrats, while the GOP inched slightly higher at 36 percent.
The divisions within the Democratic Party became evident earlier this month when anger erupted after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had earlier signaled he and Senate Democrats would not aid Republicans in passing a GOP-led government funding bill, reversed course and ultimately backed the legislation.
While Schumer wasn’t the only one to help Republicans overcome a filibuster to advance the GOP government spending bill, he took the bulk of the flak and led to speculation that some Democrats would call for him to step down. The move also shattered any sense of unity around how to go toe-to-toe with Trump.
Against that backdrop, different Democrats widely floated as presidential hopefuls for 2028 have stepped into the spotlight.
Newsom launched his “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast, whose first guests have included Kirk, Bannon and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). His first episode with Kirk drew eyebrows — and criticism — from Democrats after he suggested that transgender women competing in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.”
While Beshear, widely seen as another 2028 contender, said having different voices included in the podcast was “great,” he argued bringing on Bannon was a bridge too far, according to The New York Times.
“I think Gavin Newsom is doing the wrong thing,” said Jonathan Kott, who served as an adviser to former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.).
“I think launching a podcast while you're the sitting governor of California and then having Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, two of the most divisive, destructive figures in politics today as your guests on shows a clear lack of understanding about what the Democratic Party is looking for and what the country needs, and I hope primary voters remember that,” he said.
Newsom for his part has defended having Bannon on his show in an email to supporters. During an episode on his podcast with Walz, Newsom suggested “we can dismiss the notion of election denialism, we could completely dismiss what he did on Jan. 6, but I don’t think you can dismiss what he’s saying.”
Newsom isn’t the only one raising speculation around his end game. Beshear, who emerged as a rising star when he won reelection in deep-red Kentucky in 2023, spoke at the House Democrats’ retreat alongside Whitmer and Shapiro. Beshear, Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) are among those who weighed in on how Democrats should be handling the GOP-led government spending bill.
Beshear’s team noted to The Hill that he headlined a fundraiser for the House Democrats’ campaign arm that was hosted by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Thursday, in addition to taping an appearance on the "Pod Save America" podcast on Friday, among other events and media appearances in his schedule.
Pritzker, who has stepped up his line of attacks against Trump in recent public appearances, is heading to New Hampshire next month to be the keynote speaker for a state party event. He’s also participating in a tour with Congress members in the state to “raise awareness about the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration's cuts to critical services and resources for Illinoisans,” according to a press release from his office.
Walz, who ran as former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate last year, has also been on the road, talking to voters in red congressional districts. He’s raised speculation on his future aspirations as he’s stumped for the Wisconsin liberal judicial candidate Susan Crawford ahead of the state Supreme Court race and headlined a Montana state party fundraising event earlier this month.
“Usually at this early phase of the process, potential candidates test the waters with party leaders and activists. But I think this is going to be totally different this time. I think regular voters are ready to engage potential candidates now,” said New Hampshire Democrat Jim Demers, who worked on former President Biden’s 2024 write-in campaign, noting voters’ anger and anxiety around Trump executive actions and Congress’s response to it.
Democrats believe prospective candidates have to meet the moment. Bowen suggested the party has to be in tune with voter’s economic realities.
“I want them to buy a carton of eggs every single day, so that they always know what the price is and never forget that the economy and costs are what cost us the election in 2024,” he said.
Demers said early primary voters were looking for politicians who can demonstrate they are willing to step up to the plate.
“I think voters are really looking for aggressive, bold action — now, not later, and that's going to weigh into how important those first visits are because if someone comes in unprepared and delivers the wrong message, their potential candidacy could be doomed very early," he said.
“And for someone who has a really strong message, and they could be even the least known person, they could catapult into a very key spot early in the process.”
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