The shadow primary for the next presidential race is already underway as both parties ramp up this year’s midterm fight. 

Potential Democratic contenders, from established names to rising stars, are openly weighing 2028 bids, signaling a wide-open field as their base searches for a new standard-bearer. Several top names, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, addressed the possibility at the National Action Network (NAN) conference last week as they pitched visions for their party’s future. 

Across the aisle, Vice President Vance is positioned as the MAGA movement’s heir apparent, but recent polling and President Trump have suggested that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could be the successor, stoking questions about where the GOP base will go after more than a decade of Trump dominating party politics. 

Here is The Hill’s latest roundup of the top 2028 presidential hopefuls:

Democratic comeback bids

Harris, who ran in 2020 and became the party’s pick in 2024, has remained at the fore of Democratic polling and chatter about who will lead the party in 2028 — and she’s openly admitted to considering a comeback bid.

“Listen, I might. I might. I’m thinking about it,” Harris said at the NAN conference when asked directly whether she’d run again in 2028. “I’ll keep you posted.” 

Her nationwide book tour, which focused on her short-runway 2024 campaign, fueled 2028 chatter, as did her decision not to run for governor in California. Despite losing to Trump, she continues to top Democratic polling on the next presidential race.

And Pete Buttigieg, who ran in 2020 before joining former President Biden’s Cabinet to lead the Transportation Department, has also hinted that he could make a comeback bid in 2028. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton asked Buttigieg whether he should “be reserving a table” at Sylvia’s, where the two had a high-profile meeting during the Indiana Democrat’s 2020 run.

“You save me a seat, I’ll be there,” Buttigieg said. He decided against running for Senate in Michigan last year, opening up more speculation about a possible presidential run.

Anti-Trump governors

Governors leading blue states have led party pushback against both of Trump’s administrations, and they’re crowding into talks of who could replace him in the Oval Office. 

Perhaps the most prominent among them is California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who is term-limited. Long suspected of national ambitions, he’s come in second behind Harris in recent polls of a possible Democratic primary.

Asked by CBS News last year whether he would consider a presidential run after the 2026 midterms, Newsom said, “Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise.”

And more Democratic governors hinted at potential presidential campaigns at last week’s NAN conference in New York City, adding to the scrum of politicians who aren’t hiding their interest about the next cycle.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who is running for a second term, teased at a potential 2028 bid, saying he wants to “be a part of that conversation” as Democrats grapple with the party’s direction.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), who has repeatedly said he’s not yet thinking about a 2028 run as he runs for reelection as governor this fall, called on Democrats to “show me something now” when it comes to party action and momentum in the midterms. 

“I tell people, I’m hungry but I’m not thirsty,” Moore said. “Show me something now. Show me you are a winter soldier and not a summer soldier. Show me, and then we can have a conversation with everyone else about what is it that you’re planning on doing in the future.”

And Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) praised Democrats’ 2028 bench without rejecting a run of his own. He underscored that he’s running for reelection as governor this fall, but he’s committed to being “more involved than ever before” in 2028.

“Look, we have a pretty good bench,” Pritzker told the NAN audience. “So that’s my answer. My answer is: I don’t know what I’ll be doing after — I hope I win reelection, after — but I can tell you this. I’m going to fight like hell to elect a Democrat in 2028.”

And there are still more Democratic governors’ names in the mix, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as the blue state leaders draw focus with book tours, early state visits and media appearances.

MAGA heirs

As second-in-command, Vance has long been seen as the heir apparent to Trump, underscored by early 2028 polling.

The former Ohio senator, who was once a “never-Trump guy,” is the clear front-runner for GOP voters, besting rival GOP names by double-digits in hypothetical surveys. He won a 2028 straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last month.

But Trump has heaped praise on Rubio as he navigates global conflicts, putting a spotlight on the former Florida senator who ran against Trump in 2016 for the White House and has since taken on multiple roles within the Republican’s second administration.

Vance, however, in recent weeks has taken center stage in negotiations to end the war in Iran — a key political test amid multiple reports the president has posed the question of “Marco or JD” to officials and donors.

The White House has shrugged off speculation, praising the “all-star team” in Trump’s Cabinet, and Vance has dismissed chatter about a rivalry with Rubio.

In an average compiled by Race to the WH, testing a potential 2028 GOP primary, Rubio has climbed from single digits at the start of Trump’s second term to roughly 14 percent support this month, putting him in second place behind Vance’s 43 percent. 

Rising stars, wild cards

Democrats are expected to crowd into the wide-open 2028 race, making room for rising stars and dark-horse candidates to overtake the field in the wake of the midterms. 

One such star is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a popular progressive who joined the House during the 2018 blue wave. As her rallies across the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) cement her as an heir to his progressive movement, she’s seen a surge of momentum amid 2028 chatter.

This spring’s Yale Youth Poll found Ocasio-Cortez with a clear lead over other Democrats, including Harris, Newsom, and Buttigieg among voters younger than 35 in a hypothetical primary — and she notched fourth place overall.

Although she’s dodged questions about her plans, her growing national profile and fundraising prowess have pushed her further into the presidential conversation. 

Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) have been named alongside blue state governors in 2028 chatter. Booker ran in 2020.

And Rahm Emanuel, the former chief of staff to former President Obama, is also testing the waters for a 2028 bid as he offers sharp criticisms to his party. Although he’s low in early polling, a Democratic field without an incumbent means the next presidential race could be anyone’s game. 

Updated at 9:07 a.m. EDT