Potential presidential candidates are less coy about 2028 plans: ‘Of course I’m thinking about it’

NEW YORK– There was a time when presidential candidates were coy about their ambitions, crisscrossing the country under the guise of helping other candidates and deflecting attention when pressured to follow their obvious plans.

That’s not the case for some Democrats considering running in 2028. With no clear party leader and Democratic voters eager to fight, some potential candidates are being much more transparent about their intentions, stripping away pretensions as they try to gain maximum exposure in an era when authenticity is in high demand.

“Of course I’m thinking about it. I haven’t ruled it out,” New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently told Fox News during a trip to early voting location New Hampshire, while emphasizing that he was focused on 2026, when he will be up for re-election.

“Otherwise, I would be lying. I would be lying and I can’t do that,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom told CBS when asked if he would consider running after next year’s midterms.

Certainly, many Democrats remain circumspect.

Of the dozen or so 2,028 potential candidates with whom The Associated Press requested interviews to discuss the evolving dynamic, none were immediately available. Some Democrats deflect questions and say their attention is elsewhere even as they campaign for others in early voting states.

On the Republican side, a completely different dynamic is brewing beneath the surface. Potential candidates are keeping a low profile as President Donald Trump is expected to play kingmaker in choosing his potential successor.

Presidential campaign strategists say Democrats’ less cautious approach makes sense given the wide-open 2028 field and the large number of candidates competing for attention. Among others who have said they are considering running: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was also White House chief of staff, and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.

“The old rules don’t apply to anything anymore,” said Jess O’Connell, a Democratic strategist who advised Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign in 2020. She said the change was a good thing for the party.

“You have to be there every day to fight and share your vision,” she said. “And I think the more opportunities they have to talk to people right now and communicate about how to meet the needs of the future,” the better.

Alex Conant, a veteran of the presidential campaigns of Republicans Marco Rubio, a former Florida senator turned Trump secretary of state, and Tim Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, said the dynamics of the emerging Democratic primary, without a clear frontrunner, have changed the candidates’ calculus.

“I think the Democratic primary will be the longest of our lifetimes. It’s hard to remember such an open field. And the Democratic base is so hungry for someone to take on Trump and win back the White House,” he said. “The more people there are, the more important it is to start early. »

The candidates, he noted, are also “immediately more relevant if you could be the next president,” which adds to the incentive to say the silent part out loud.

Voters these days are also turned off by the kind of political talk that was once the norm.

“One of the takeaways from Trump is that people want authenticity,” Conant said. “Voters reject candidates who sound like politicians, so the rhetorical tricks that politicians have used for decades to avoid answering questions now only irritate voters.”

Not everyone has taken this approach.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker played coy on stage during a recent interview with reporter Kara Swisher, repeatedly dodging her questions about his planned schedule.

“Blah, blah,” she responded as he tried to talk about the strength of the Democratic bench.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been similarly circumspect, refusing to acknowledge the White House’s ambitions or even commit to running for governor again, even as the shadow of 2028 follows him wherever he goes. But during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” podcast last month, as he reflected on the arson of his official residence, he had the air of someone who is eager to stay in the arena.

“I love public service,” he said. “You can’t walk away now, with everything at stake. … Now is not the time to stop.”

His perceived national ambitions have become a frequent line of attack for his potential GOP rival for governor, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

“We need someone who is more interested in Pennsylvania and not Pennsylvania Avenue,” Garrity said recently on a conservative radio show in Philadelphia.

That’s one of the risks for candidates, said Mike DuHaime, a longtime Republican Party strategist who advised the presidential campaigns of Chris Christie, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush.

In 2013, he noted, Christie’s opponent in the New Jersey gubernatorial race often tried to use his national buzz as a campaign argument against him.

Candidates, DuHaime said, also need to strike a balance and be careful not to distract from the midterm elections by taking money or attention away from candidates who need it.

“I think it makes sense to not be so shy because people kind of understand, but they should still be careful about putting themselves in front of the country because it could backfire on them,” he said. They “need to be careful that they still look a little like team players.”

In other cases, candidates really haven’t made up their minds and may be lured by party leaders in early voting states, eager to attract rising stars to their events, DuHaime said.

“It’s very intriguing and exciting for current and potential candidates to be invited,” he said, with some deciding, “Let’s go experience the national circus. Let’s be a part of it.”

Besides possible legal considerations, O’Connell, the Democratic strategist, also noted that many of those expected to run have day jobs they must balance. While fighting Trump certainly puts them in the spotlight, it could have consequences for voters if the Republican president retaliates, meaning candidates will have to choose their moments wisely.

“You have to fulfill your obligations to the states that you are in,” she said. “It’s not so much that you’re playing a game, it’s that I think there are practical considerations.”

“I think we’re going to see people struggle with this,” she added.

She also urged candidates to adopt what she calls a “Beyoncé-Taylor Swift strategy,” referring to the way pop stars boost the economies of the cities where they tour.

“What I would advise anyone who wants to be president in 2028,” she said, “is to roll up your sleeves and help.”