Former Transport Secretary Pete Battigieg has revealed that he has been opening the 2028 option, excluding Michigan's statewide office run in 2026.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will head to New Hampshire next month to visit the traditional battlefield with the presidential primary campaign while the campaign is underway.
And even if Iowa isn't like that yet Iowa, government. Minnesota's Tim Waltz found himself in the state on Friday, opening a former presidential nomination contest, addressing a group of frustrated and ferocious Democrats. As the Trump administration moves forward with an offensive agenda and Democrats are angry at Congressional leaders, some of the party's most ambitious politicians are watching ahead quietly and perhaps mostly.
To be precise, it's 1000, 334 days away.
Quiet conversations about the White House's next race are already underway in a stable thing that can become a democratic strategist, activist and, yes, a candidate. No one would make a loud presentation of such a desire. Many have not even decided personally whether they will take steps towards a bid.
But why does reality get in the way of a good shadow primary? All over the country, political operatives, donors and journalists are scrutinizing and overanalyzing the words, policy positions and travel schedules of these Democrats, due to signs of a presidential conspiracy. And these Democrats may leave breadcrumbs to attract such attention.
“Everything that Trump is doing is so traumatic and very uncomfortable with your soul,” said Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democrats. “Remind me that there's a day after tomorrow. Thinking about '28, it allows some people to survive the trauma better.”
Those who are on the forefront of the presidential race in four years say jockeys are beginning very early. Early nominated state selection is unlikely to be finalized at least from 2026 to mid-2026, making it difficult for candidates to develop actual campaign strategies.
Much of the political world is just beginning to prepare for the hit in next year's midterm elections, with many class and filed Democrats focusing on what they see as a serious threat to President Trump to the country's rule of law.
Buckley said he had already spoken with many top Democrats about appearing in the fundraisers of his early primary state party. He added that these demands are met with enthusiasm from local activists eager to focus on politics that doesn't include Trump.
Buckley said news that Battigieg had not competed in Michigan's statewide offices was Glee by his supporters in New Hampshire.
Buttigieg is far from the only prominent Democrat who has made quiet calculations about the future. The list of possible candidates is vast, including at least eight governors, several senators and other current and former officials.
When former Vice President Kamala Harris decides whether to run for California governor, several people who spoke to her are thinking about how such a move will affect the potential for adoption in the third presidential election.
Her previous running mates have not ruled out the 2028 run. Walz attempted to put some distance on the ticket between himself and his former partner, and began Media Blitz in 2024 to claim that Democrats “safely” played it.
With no clear standard rep, many Democrats are anticipating a busy major area that can grow if not larger than the 2019 lineup of more than two dozen candidates.
Next week, New York president Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be attending City Hall alongside Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in three western states: Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Sanders is currently 83 and appears to have ruled out the third president's bid. There are open progressive lanes for people like 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez. He is not particularly seen as a potential heir to Sanders, but he floats as a potential heir.
Much of the party's attention has been transformed into what many consider to be the talented and rising crop of the governor. In contrast to 2019, when the Democratic primary race featured a historically diverse group of candidates, many of the well-known candidates are white.
Pretzker will be in Washington next Tuesday to speak at the American Center for Progress, the top liberal think tank, as the group holds conversations on the path of progress.
Three Democratic governors, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Andy Besher of Kentucky, were also in the Washington area this week, expanding their reach across their home states by dealing with Congressional Democrats' closed outdoor shelter.
After years of Kentucky, Beshear has strengthened his ties with the party's donor class. He was elected vice-chairman of the Democratic Governors Association at the end of 2024 and will serve as the group's chairman in 2026.
According to the governor's political advisor, Eric Hyers, Besher already plans to spend some money on out-of-state races this spring, supporting liberal candidates in the battle for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Some of the early fault lines about how much they compromise with Trump and his supporters have already been focused.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has long held presidential hopes, has suddenly become the host of a popular podcast. He has returned to the national spotlight by trying to break what he perceives as party orthodoxy on controversial issues, such as the participation of trans athletes in women's sports.
His back-to-back decision to bring flame-throwing right-wing leaders Charlie Kirk and Stephen K. Bannon said he “says it's a mistake to give him a platform everywhere.”
Even less well-known figures work to hone the country's profile.
Locanna, a California Democrat, is holding three town hall meetings this weekend in the Republican District of California.
And some have long been assumed to be out of politics. Rahm Emmanuel, a former Chicago mayor and Democratic operative who spent the past few years as Japan's ambassador, declared this week that he was ready to run towards the president.
But like everyone else, or maybe not! – Join the race, Mr. Emmanuel kept his words clearly and vague.
“I don't know what I'm doing,” he insisted. “I'm not finished with public services. I hope that public services aren't finished with me.”
