Democrats are in disarray after Vice President Kamala Harris’s sobering loss to President-elect Donald Trump has left the party with many questions.
Top of the list is already lining up potential candidates for the 2028 presidential election and, with few – if any – strong contenders, names and strategies are being floated.
But disagreements have already been surfacing as some Democrats think the epic loss of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives is a clear sign that the party needs a reboot with fresh blood. Some, however, believe that the millions of votes cast for Harris should not be ignored and that she should run again in four years when she will not be facing off against Trump.
Will the democrats hold a primary in 2028 or will they just install someone again…?
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 29, 2024
“Just like in 2016, we’re a little lost and rudderless, and not quite sure what we want going forward,” one Democratic strategist told The Hill which broke down some of the top contenders in an already crowded field of hopefuls.
Those pushing for Harris again point the finger of blame at President Joe Biden for various reasons.
“In many ways, this was still Joe Biden’s race. Even though she was the nominee in the end, she still had a number of constraints, including the fact that she couldn’t maneuver to distance herself from him when she needed to,” a Harris “ally” told the outlet.
While a new Emerson poll showed the VP leading other potential candidates in 2028, Harris “led a billion-dollar campaign that lost. And her campaign was far from perfect,” according to The Hill. “There are some Democrats who think it would be foolish to choose the same nominee in 2028 who lost in 2024.”
Even before Democrats shoved Biden out of the way for their preferred nominee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s name was already being floated as a potential replacement in his own right. Though there are some who doubt the Democrat could win the general election, others feel his name recognition and attacks on Trump and other Republicans are surefire bets.
“He spoils for a fight, and right now, you have a party that wants a shot in the arm,” one Democratic strategist said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s name pops up on the roster of potential 2028 contenders after having been floated as Biden’s running mate in 2020.
“The next nominee is always a referendum on the last one,” Democratic strategist Christy Setzer told The Hill. “I think Harris ran a much better race than anyone could’ve asked for, [but] the obvious takeaway is going to be that we shouldn’t run a woman of color or a woman at all. Sucks, but I don’t see people having a different analysis.”
Another Democrat said Whitmer is “the real deal.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s name has popped up as a potential candidate by some who feel the young New Yorker is the future of the party. One Democratic strategist told the outlet that the progressive “Squad” member is lauded by others in her party for being able to “cut through the BS and tell it like it is.”
“She’s somebody who can cut through the noise and doesn’t talk like Washington.”
But many still see her as too far to the left to win the nomination.
“She and the ‘squad’ started pushing too hard, too fast,” another strategist said. “D.C. doesn’t work that way. And our party doesn’t work that way. We need to get back to the basics.”
The Hill’s report seemed to spark the idea that AOC was, indeed, planning to run in 2028. Tennessee GOP Rep. Tim Burchett noted in a post on X: “Quit underestimating our opponents. Thats how we got Carter, Clinton, Obama, and Biden.”
Quit underestimating our opponents. Thats how we got Carter, Clinton, Obama, and Biden. https://t.co/n0QxAikQCQ
— Tim Burchett (@timburchett) November 29, 2024
Others were ready to weigh in on a possible Ocasio-Cortez bid for the White House.
AOC for President would be a disaster. It’d be a gift to the GOP.
— OneXOneY (@OneXOneY) November 29, 2024
JD Vance is laughing at this
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) November 29, 2024
When we look at Gavin and AOC, we see them for what they are.
But we can’t ignore how liberals see them. They both have significant marketing appeal to the left and the left will spend the next four years propping them up.
Blindly dismissing them because of our current victory…
— William (@Will_USA_1st) November 29, 2024
Speculation that AOC might run for president in 2028.
It’s like the Democrats have no clue why Kamala lost. pic.twitter.com/ug37PbqDjg
— Jenna Ellis (@realJennaEllis) November 29, 2024
The man passed over as Harris’s vice presidential candidate after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was crowned still has solid support in his home state of Pennsylvania. But an Emerson poll shows that only 3 percent of survey respondents indicated they would support Gov. Josh Shapiro who many thought was a stronger choice for Harris.
“We’ll never know how that would play out, but he certainly got a lot of attention for it,” said one Democratic donor. “And I know a lot of us think he definitely has the chops to one day run for higher office. He has a certain gravitas.”
Not to be ignored is another who has been touted as the “future” of the Democrat Party is Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The 42-year-old former presidential candidate and former South Bend, Ind. mayor is ahead of some others in polling and some feel strongly about his chances. Others have propped up the name of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
New polling is showing that AOC & Pete Buttigieg are the early front runners to win the Democrat Primary in 2028.
My goodness. Scary to even think about.
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) November 29, 2024
“An heir to the Hyatt Hotel chain, Pritzker could easily build his campaign coffers — and quickly,” The Hill noted. “He also has a string of legislative achievements that could be appealing to Democrats.”
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