After extensive research I have compiled a list of the ten most mentioned presidential candidates to be running for office on the democratic side in the 2028 election. In this article I will explain a bit about each candidate, and give my opinion which will include how much I like them, and even more importantly, how likely I think they are to beat a MAGA republican. The candidates are roughly in order of most to least mentions based on my research.
Kamala Harris
The obvious candidate for the democratic nomination in 2028 is former vice president Kamala Harris. I won’t go into much detail because I would hope that everyone is familiar with Harris now. While she served as Joe Biden’s vice president, Harris promoted legislation to protect voting rights, preserve access to abortion, and address causes of increased migration from Latin America.
Although I don’t agree with Harris on everything – like I wish she would have a tougher stance on the Israel-Hamas war – I do think she would make a really good president. I won’t deny that I was fully on the Harris train during the 2024 election, and I still am a bit, but looking at the other possibilities post-election, I see that there are better, more liberal options. Overall, I would love for Harris to be my president, and I think she has a chance at beating a MAGA republican. That being said, the list to follow features a couple people I would likely prefer to be my president over Harris, and a few people that I think would have a greater chance at beating a MAGA republican.
Tim Walz
Another more obvious of the possible presidential candidates is Kamala Harris’ former running-mate, Tim Walz. Walz, now 60, first got into politics when he won a U.S. House of Representatives seat in a Minnesota election upset. The high school teacher turned Minnesota Governor was also a member of the National Guard. As Governor, Walz’s top policies included securing abortion rights, allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, providing free lunches to all public school students, legalizing marijuana, and enacting gun control regulations.
I am a big Tim Walz fan. He may not be as radically left as I would like, but I really like what he has done for Minnesota and think he is a very hard-working politician. Walz has a daughter close to my age and I can tell that she influences his beliefs, which makes me like him even more. I also think Walz is pretty well liked and that the Harris campaign helped with that by marketing him as a cute Midwestern dad. Walz would probably be one of my top choices for 2028 presidential candidates when combining how much I like him, and how likely I think he is to be able to beat a MAGA republican.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
A more surprising of the likely presidential candidates who was mentioned in nearly all of the articles I referenced, is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC. AOC is a member of the House of Representatives, representing New York’s 14th district. She won the seat in a primary election upset where she campaigned on Green New Deal, Medicare for All, a federal jobs guarantee, and the abolition of ICE. Now age 35, she was the youngest woman to serve in U.S. congress when she was elected in 2019. AOC identifies as a democratic socialist and has frequently used social media as a platform to connect with young voters and share her progressive political views.
I would be absolutely thrilled to have AOC as my president, the issue is, would everyone else? AOC’s background is one that I want in my future president. She has experienced many things that Americans today struggle with like living paycheck to paycheck, seeing the separation of immigrant families, public school struggles and large health insurance deductibles. All that being said, I don’t know if I trust Americans to elect a very young, very liberal, minimally experienced, Puerto Rican woman, as our president.
Pete Buttigieg
Moving on to a possible presidential candidate I personally see in the media frequently, Pete Buttigieg. It is apparently not just me who sees Buttigieg in the media frequently, as he was also one of the most mentioned possible presidential candidates for 2028. Buttigieg is the former secretary of Transportation under Joe Biden where he was the first openly-gay cabinet member, and prior to that was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He is 43 years old and the son of an immigrant. Buttigieg ran for the democratic presidential nomination in 2020 on a platform of bringing a fresh perspective to Washington. He campaigned for renewable energy development, stronger gun laws, and “Medicare for all who want it.”
I am a big Mayor Pete fan. As a politics student at a liberal Iowa college, I am pretty much taught to be a Buttigieg fan due to his large campaign efforts at the Iowa caucus in 2020. I have always respected his “rules of the road” and how he runs his campaigns with respect and belonging (Pete if you are seeing this, please let me work for your campaign). I also agree with his policies as I am a renewable energy advocate as well. Overall, I would love to have Buttigieg as my president. The issue is, as much as I don’t want to say it, I’m not sure older Americans – even democrats, or anti-Trumpers – would elect a young, gay man for the highest position.
Gavin Newsom
Still being mentioned in almost all of the articles referenced, another likely of the possible presidential candidates is Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsome is the current Governor of California and before that he was their Lieutenant Governor and the Mayor of San Francisco. Newsom, now 57, is a self-made millionaire from his winery business, PlumpJack. He ran his 2018 Governor campaign on a platform of affordable housing and universal healthcare.
I like Newsome as a possible presidential candidate. I really like the successful work he has done in the past with providing housing to homeless people and I also appreciate his fight against the death penalty and his strict regulations during the pandemic. Sometimes considered a moderate candidate, I think Newsom could have a chance at beating a MAGA republican.
Andy Beshear
This next of the possible presidential candidates was mentioned in about 75% of the articles I referenced, Governor Andy Beshear. Beshear is 47 and the current Governor of Ketucky who before that, was their attorney general. While Governor, Beshear has fought for tough COVID-19 policies, new jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, legalizing cannabis, drug treatment and recovery programs, and protecting and expanding access to healthcare.
I like the policies that Beshear has enacted in his two terms as governor, especially how he has invested in sustainable resources in Kentucky. I agree with the policies, but that being said, as a college student, they aren’t necessarily the issues I care the most about. It is also extremely promising that he was able to win with a decent margin as a democrat in 2022 in a state that just two years later, Trump won by over 30 percentage points. This statistic specifically gives me a lot of hope that even if he ends up being a do-nothing president for people my age, at least he will be worlds better than a MAGA republican.
Gretchen Whitmer
Another red state Governor turned possible democratic presidential candidate is Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer is 53 and the current Governor of Michigan who previously served in their house and senate. Whitmer has been a longtime advocate of traditional democratic policies including gun control, workers rights, abortion rights, job creation, funding for education, improved infrastructure, and the expansion of healthcare.
Because Whitmer is more moderate than most and has been willing to compromise in the past, she might be a good option for a candidate to beat a MAGA republican. Overall, nothing about her or her policies is particularly exciting to me, but I would still be happy for her to be my president if she was the only one able to beat a MAGA republican.
Josh Shapiro
Next of the possible presidential candidates is Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro is 51 and is the Governor of Pennsylvania who before that served as their attorney general, and a member of their House of Representatives. While Governor, Shapiro worked to increase spending on public education and infrastructure and protect voting rights. Shapiro has expressed views that are pro-Israel, pro-free birth control and pro-gas-tax refund.
Shapiro is way too moderate for my personal likings. I don’t like his stance on Israel most of all. I would not be very happy with Shapiro as my president. That being said, he is probably the most moderate of the candidates mentioned in this article, and therefore, I would be supportive if he was the only way to get Americans to not elect a MAGA republican.
JB Pritzker
Now to on of the possible presidential candidates who was mentioned in about half of the articles I referenced, Governor JB Pritzker. Pritzker is 62 and is the current Governor of Illinois who before that, helped found multiple venture capital firms. The Pritzker family is one of the richest families in the U.S. as they own the Hyatt hotel brand. The family also has a history of being involved in politics, social justice, and philanthropy. Pritzker’s biggest fights as a politician include abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun control.
I am a big fan of Pritzker’s policies including his tough COVID-19 regulations, but I will admit that I have a bad taste in my mouth about rich businessmen being presidents. Although my outlook on those who have extensive wealth is not the most positive, I think the Pritzker family has done better than many in the ways that they earned and used said wealth. Pritzker is well liked and therefore would have a decent chance of beating a MAGA republican which is the biggest positive for me. In the 2024 election he won Illinois with the highest margin in a gubernatorial election since 1994. Pritzker is someone I could see Americans electing in 2028.
Ro Khanna
The final candidate I will mention was, although at the bottom of the list, still mentioned in many of the articles of possible presidential candidates for 2028, Ro Khanna. Khanna is serving his 5th term representing California’s 17th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is 48 and the son of two immigrants. Khannas main work is in restoring American manufacturing and technology leadership, improving the lives of working people, and advancing U.S. leadership on climate, human rights, and diplomacy around the world.
I appreciate what Khanna fights for and especially his environmental work. I would love for Khanna to be my president, but I think much of the rest of the world would see him as too liberal. Another concern is that in the past Khanna has only accepted campaign donations from individuals, and it would be extremely hard to run a successful presidential campaign without the help from Political Action Committees. Overall, I see it very unlikely that a young son of two Indian immigrants who is currently lesser-known and experienced, could win the 2028 election.
It is likely that in the next four years more presidential candidates will become very popular, and some of the mentioned candidates will take their name out of the running. There is really know way to know which candidates are just in a popular phase, and which have a real possibility of being chosen to run our country. That being said, I am confident that several from my list will be those candidates when the time comes around in 2028. I hope that this article was able to provide our readers with hope for a brighter, more inclusive and loving future.