Emerging Dem Field For 2028 Doesn’t Look Promising In Age Of Trump: Analysis
Political analysts remain skeptical about whether the rumored Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential race have the leadership qualities needed to unify the party and reclaim the White House, according to an analysis released on Saturday.
Among the names reportedly considering a bid are Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, both unsuccessful in 2024, as well as former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and several sitting Democratic governors—including California’s Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, and Maryland’s Wes Moore. As the Democratic Party struggles to recover from a difficult political climate, these figures are said to be weighing potential campaigns, according to a report by the Daily Caller. Although the 2028 race remains in its early stages, experts told the outlet that these candidates could face major hurdles in energizing the party and broadening their appeal enough to secure a national victory.
“We are in what has been referred to as the ‘invisible primary’ phase of the election cycle, because it is so early and the public isn’t paying attention to these early machinations,” Len Foxwell, a Democratic strategist based in Maryland, told the Caller.
“The only ones who are participating in the process at this point are the prospective candidates themselves and a relatively small and insular ecosystem of donors and party activists and elected officials who do this sort of thing, either as a passion or as a profession. It’s a very small and limited process right now, but it’s definitely happening,” Foxwell added.
Polling data suggests that Democratic voters overwhelmingly favor Harris as the party’s leading figure, with Buttigieg and Newsom trailing behind, while other names receive far less support, according to Newsweek.
While many Democratic strategists hesitate to critique the potential contenders openly, Michigan-based political consultant Adolph Mongo did not mince words.
“A bunch of losers,” Mongo told the Caller when discussing several of the Democratic figures rumored to be considering a 2028 campaign. “I’m looking for someone who’s gonna be more realistic, and who’s going to be able to not only dish it out, but be able to take it. The Democrats, they ran a spineless 2024 campaign, they let Republicans create the narrative, and they never responded to it.”
“Harris made the biggest boo-boo, with the pick from Minnesota, good, nice guy, a good governor. But they needed somebody that’s going to be a bulldog that can attract new voters,” Mongo said, referencing Walz.
“You know, they just dropped the ball on several issues, one on immigration, two on transgender rights. Three, they took their base for granted, black voters, Hispanic voters, they just did everything wrong. And the biggest boo-boo was they knew that the president, two or three years ago, should have just been a one-term guy, and they didn’t do anything and waited too late … they might as well have just left him in,” he added.
Beshear, who was reportedly under consideration alongside Whitmer and others as a possible 2024 running mate after Biden opted out of a second term and endorsed Harris, recently criticized Newsom for featuring populist figure Steve Bannon on his program. His comments quickly gained traction in liberal media reports.
Meanwhile, Walz—widely recognized for his progressive track record—appears to be testing the waters for a presidential run by launching a nationwide town hall tour in key Republican-held districts. His first stop? Iowa, a crucial early primary battleground, according to the Caller.
Foxwell argued that each candidate has a potential path to victory, noting that figures like Newsom have begun adjusting their stances on certain issues, such as protections for women’s sports, to expand their appeal.
However, he acknowledged that the Democratic primary field is likely to be “all over the map” due to the party’s current state of disarray, the outlet reported.
Foxwell suggested that Moore could position himself as a candidate in the party’s “aspirational lane,” similar to Barack Obama’s rise in 2008. Meanwhile, he dismissed Emanuel’s chances, asserting that he remains too closely associated with a bygone era of American politics.
And though Newsom appears to be maneuvering for a strong position in 2028, Foxwell personally believes he would be a poor choice for Democrats, stating that the California governor “embodies every worst negative stereotype of the modern Democratic Party” and “represents the privileged and affluent coastal elite who have virtually no connective tissue to working-class men and women in the battleground states who ultimately determine the outcome of presidential elections.”