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After Democrats’s devastating loss to Donald Trump, the path forward for the party remains uncertain. With no clear direction – and no obvious standard-bearer – the race for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination is wide open. Would-be contenders include governors, senators, members of Congress, a former cabinet secretary and the former vice-president. While no one has officially announced their candidacy, several have begun visiting the early-voting states, and raising their profiles with appearances on popular podcasts and cross-country book tours. Of course, much could change in the months and years ahead, leaving room for surprises and new faces.
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
Gavin Newsom
The term-limited governor has reprised his role as Democrats’ most visible Trump foil, setting off high-profile clashes with the president and his administration over federal authority, tariffs, climate policy and immigration. Newsom’s satirical social media presence – often aimed squarely at Trump – has helped raise his already growing national profile as he spearheaded a successful redistricting ballot measure, marketed as a check on Trump’s power. In preparation for a potential bid, Newsom has launched a podcast, traveled to South Carolina and announced an initiative focused on improving outcomes for young men – a group Democrats struggled with in 2024 – all while refining a progressive-but-pragmatic brand. Newsom has acknowledged he is considering a run for the White House but insists his focus for now is on helping Democrats’ take back the House in the 2026 midterms.
Kamala Harris
Former vice-president, 2024 Democratic presidential nominee
Kamala Harris
Harris, who unexpectedly became the party’s 2024 nominee after Joe Biden stepped aside, has left open the possibility that she could pursue the nomination for a third time. Near-universal name recognition, a deep national fundraising network and strong support among core Democratic constituencies, particularly Black voters and suburban women, could give Harris a head start, though her loss to Trump – and unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign – has left many in the party questioning whether voters would embrace her again. Harris, who was the first female, first African American and first Asian American to serve as vice-president and the highest-ranking woman in American government, returned to California after leaving the White House. She formally ruled out a run for governor, before she re-emerged on the national stage with a memoir about her historic 107-day presidential campaign. Asked repeatedly about her future plans, she is careful to leave the door open for another White House bid, saying recently: “I am not done”.
Pete Buttigieg
Former transportation secretary
Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg’s calm, technocratic approach and millennial communication savvy catapulted him from small-town mayor to the front of the Democratic pack in the 2020 presidential primary. While unsuccessful, the campaign cemented his status as a rising political star. Biden tapped him to lead the transportation department, making Buttigieg the first openly gay US secretary confirmed by lawmakers. Since leaving office, the 43-year-old has maintained a national profile with regular appearances on manosphere podcasts and town halls, including at a veterans-focused event in Iowa. As a candidate, Buttigieg, a former intelligence officer in the navy reserves who deployed to Afghanistan while serving as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, could try to recapture the energy of his first presidential campaign, casting himself as a next-generation problem solver who blends progressive ideas with midwestern pragmatism.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Congresswoman from New York
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Seven years after arriving onto the national scene seemingly overnight with a stunning primary upset, the Bronx-born congresswoman remains one of the left’s most energizing and influential voices. Ocasio-Cortez, known simply by her initials, AOC, has emphasized her Puerto Rican and working-class roots – she worked as a bartender and waitress before running for Congress. After Trump’s second inauguration, she joined Senator Bernie Sanders on a cross-country “Fighting Oligarchy” tour that drew massive crowds of furious Democrats hungry for leaders willing to stand up to the new administration. In recent years, Ocasio-Cortez, 36, has worked to broaden her influence beyond her progressive base, using her fundraising prowess and grassroots appeal to mobilize young voters and help boost vulnerable House members. Should she run, Ocasio-Cortez would likely be the youngest candidate in the field. Some supporters would prefer she challenge Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who is up for re-election in 2028.
Josh Shapiro
Governor of Pennsylvania
Josh Shapiro
The Pennsylvania governor has emerged as one of the party’s more pragmatic voices, cultivating a reputation for bipartisanship in a swing state Democrats must win to reclaim the White House. Shapiro, 52, was a leading contender to be Harris’s running mate in 2024, a nod to his perceived electability. A former attorney general, he gained national attention for his sweeping investigation into clergy sexual abuse and for his office’s work securing opioid settlements – achievements he has carried into office. As governor, he has positioned himself as a steady critic of Trump-era policies while avoiding the sharper rhetoric of the party’s left. Known for an oratory style that can sound similar to Barack Obama, he speaks often about his Jewish faith and rejecting political violence, hate speech and antisemitism – themes that became personal after the governor’s residence was the target of an arson attack during Passover in April 2025.
Andy Beshear
Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear
A red-state Democrat who has repeatedly won statewide elections – even as Kentucky leans heavily Republican – Beshear’s profile has grown as the party searches for leaders who can reconnect with voters in Trump-friendly regions. Beshear, 47, has taken steps to raise his national visibility: in 2025, he also launched a podcast and stirred up crowds in South Carolina and other important states while appearing more regularly on cable news. He has pitched himself a pragmatist with a populist streak, a mild-mannered Democrat who can take on Trump without alienating his supporters. As the chair-elect of the Democratic Governors Association, Beshear will help shape the party’s messaging, urging candidates to speak to voters more “like normal human beings”.
Ruben Gallego
Senator from Arizona
Ruben Gallego
A former Marine and five-term congressman, Gallego, 46, made history as the first Latino to represent the state in the US Senate. The Arizona senator’s 2024 victory over Kari Lake – in a heavily contested race the same year Trump carried the state – showed his crossover appeal with the president’s supporters. During his Senate campaign, he highlighted his biography – son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico, combat veteran, first-generation college graduate – to appeal to working-class and Hispanic voters the party has struggled with in recent years. Having worked to shed his progressive image, he has emerged as a leading Democratic voice on immigration, pushing a consensus approach while railing against the Trump administration’s crackdown. Gallego has hardly been coy about his interest in a White House bid. He has visited several key states and, when asked, argues that Democrats need a candidate who can compete for working-class voters.
Many more Democrats are viewed as potential contenders. Here’s who else to watch.
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Illinois governor JB Pritzker
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Maryland governor Wes Moore
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Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer
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Minnesota governor and former vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz
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Colorado governor Jared Polis
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Former commerce secretary Gina Raimondo
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Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel
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Arizona senator Mark Kelly
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Michigan senator Elissa Slotkin
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Connecticut senator Chris Murphy
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New Jersey senator Cory Booker
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California congressman Ro Khanna
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Colorado congressman Jason Crow
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Media personality Stephen A Smith
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