As President Donald Trump continues to deliver on the promises of his second term, speculation is already heating up over who will take the reins of the fractured Democratic Party in 2028. Some familiar names from the party’s failed 2024 ticket are angling for a comeback, while others appear to be calculating their moves more cautiously.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a rising star among progressives, insists he won’t be running for president in 2028. Despite making high-profile appearances in early primary states like South Carolina, Moore told the Associated Press plainly, “I’m not running.”

Moore—who is halfway through his first term—shrugged off the buzz surrounding his national ambitions, even as he prepares to deliver a speech at South Carolina’s Blue Palmetto Dinner, a traditional proving ground for Democratic hopefuls.

The Democrat governor insisted his recent travels to battleground states are strictly for economic development. “People should get very used to me going all over the country bringing business back to Maryland,” he said.

Moore also dismissed talk of a vice presidential bid, saying he's focused on governing Maryland through what he described as a “difficult period.” Despite the denials, Moore’s continued presence in key Democratic arenas leaves the door open for future maneuvering.

Meanwhile, Pete Buttigieg, the former Transportation Secretary whose bureaucratic incompetence was widely panned during the Biden years, is working overtime to rebrand himself as a digital-age communicator. With a 2028 run clearly in mind, Buttigieg has declined to pursue open seats in Michigan and instead has thrown himself into the media circuit.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Buttigieg claimed he’s “using [his] voice” in both traditional and new media and hopes to “talk about how we could have a better way”—a vague and familiar refrain from the man who once styled himself as the Democrats’ answer to youthful centrism.

Democrat-aligned influencers are already pushing Buttigieg into the spotlight. Sammy Kanter, CEO of Girl and the Gov, called his media strategy “on point,” noting that he’s courting both liberal and moderate audiences through podcasts and online platforms, much like President Trump’s own successful appearances on shows like The Joe Rogan Experience.

Still, despite favorable headlines from legacy outlets like The New York Times, which called him the party’s “best-of-class communicator,” Buttigieg remains a deeply polarizing figure outside the Beltway bubble.

Alongside Moore and Buttigieg, other Democrats being floated for 2028 include California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose state has become a symbol of failed progressive governance, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was trounced by Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the 2024 election.

Harris, once the presumptive heir to the Biden coalition, has largely retreated from the national stage after voters rejected her ticket last fall. Meanwhile, Newsom continues to struggle with economic and crime crises in California, raising serious doubts about whether the rest of the country wants to replicate the Golden State’s far-left policies.

While Democrats play political musical chairs, President Trump remains firmly in control, setting the tone with strong executive actions, a rejuvenated economy, and a court that’s backing his agenda on immigration and infrastructure.

With the left still reeling from its 2024 defeat, the early signs suggest Democrats are trying to find a message—and a messenger—that can stand up to the America First agenda that once again has the wind at its back.