Top Democrats are using 2026 as a springboard for potential presidential bids in 2028.
Progressive figures like Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), along with moderates such as Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, are actively shaping their party by endorsing candidates in competitive primaries this year. Their nationwide travels aim to boost their profiles and elevate candidates they consider pivotal to the party’s future.
While these strategies have not always succeeded, they have provided insight. Some leaders have endorsed challengers to incumbents due to generational or ideological differences. Others have made early endorsements to lend credibility to candidates, while some have timed their support to give candidates a final push. Additionally, they have concentrated efforts on swing districts and other races that could influence the balance of power in Congress come fall.
“If you’re thinking about running for president, you need allies,” stated Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist with a firm engaged in House and Senate campaigns nationwide. “The more that you’re out there, trying to get people elected and making a meaningful difference, voters are going to remember that.”
Nellis also mentioned that appearing with candidates on the campaign trail can generate social media excitement for potential 2028 candidates. Traveling allows them to connect with donors and officials across the country who could support a future presidential campaign and test how messages resonate in different regions. For those without elections this year, it’s a strategy to maintain relevance.
Some potential presidential candidates have been very active in endorsements, while others have been more reserved or focused on their home states, according to a POLITICO review of endorsements in House, Senate, and gubernatorial races. A few have largely stayed out of this year’s primaries.
The most prolific endorsers
Ro Khanna has been one of the most active members of Congress in endorsing candidates.
The representative from California, who is “seriously considering” a 2028 presidential run, has endorsed over a dozen candidates, often being an early supporter of progressive figures like Kat Abughazaleh in Illinois’ 9th District and Analilia Mejia in New Jersey’s 11th District. Abughazaleh lost her bid, while Mejia secured a win.
Khanna also supported left-wing candidates that other national progressives avoided, notably including democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race.
Khanna’s endorsement outcomes have been mixed. Hong lost her race, and Graham Platner, who won a primary in Maine with Khanna’s support, withdrew following a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. Khanna withdrew his endorsement, as did many others.
Khanna explained to POLITICO that he prefers endorsing early when a candidate is a longshot because that is when endorsements are most needed. He seeks candidates who support Medicare for All, advocate for taxing billionaires, and oppose foreign wars.
“My philosophy is to give those who are outsiders and have to scrape their way in — like I had to — a fair shot,” he conveyed in a text message.
Ocasio-Cortez has also supported a broad range of progressive candidates but has been more selective than Khanna, which has led to some tension within the Bernie Sanders wing of progressives.
Critics argue she has been overly cautious, but her selectivity has helped her avoid significant missteps.
Ocasio-Cortez has taken on more of a closing role this cycle. In California’s 22nd District, Khanna endorsed Randy Villegas early on, while Ocasio-Cortez provided her endorsement closer to the primary, which Villegas won against a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-backed moderate. He will now challenge a Republican incumbent in November.
She actively campaigned for progressives in several key races, joining Sam Forstag in Montana and collaborating with Sanders to support Abdul El-Sayed, who narrowly secured the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan.
Recently, she endorsed Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) against an upcoming primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton.
Pete Buttigieg, another frequent endorser among potential 2028 candidates, has focused on a different segment. As a moderate, he has been actively campaigning across presidential battleground states and endorsing key Senate candidates, including backing Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary, which she lost, and state Rep. Josh Turek in Iowa, who won his primary.
Buttigieg, who is “more inclined than not” to pursue another presidential run in 2028, has also had success with endorsements in Wisconsin’s 3rd District and Connecticut, where Luke Bronin ousted Rep. John Larson.
Most governors stuck close to home
Governors considering presidential campaigns largely focused their endorsement efforts within their states as they prepared for their reelection battles.
This local focus allows them to exert influence without drawing criticism for nationalizing local politics. They have actively campaigned for their preferred candidates, not only bolstering their standing locally but also potentially setting the stage for national runs.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker invested $10 million in a super PAC supporting his lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, in the heated Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, accompanying her on the campaign trail. He called the race “personal,” and Stratton won by 7 points.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro invested significant political capital in a key House race, recruiting ally and union chief Bob Brooks to challenge GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the swingy 7th District. Shapiro fundraised, cut ads, and campaigned with Brooks, who won by nearly 20 points.
Shapiro also supported Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in his gubernatorial primary against Sen. Michael Bennet, where Weiser triumphed by 14 points.
In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore backed state Del. Adrian Boafo in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer and supported Rep. April McClain Delaney in her primary against former Rep. David Trone, even recording a robocall for her. An adviser noted Moore’s preexisting relationships with both candidates and his focus on races beneficial to his constituents.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer concentrated her efforts on Michigan’s Senate race, endorsing Rep. Haley Stevens late in the contest, although she was less active on the campaign trail than Pritzker or Shapiro.
Disagreements among moderates
Even within the centrist camp, there were differences in endorsement strategies heading into 2028.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) endorsed retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam in Michigan’s 7th District, which she previously represented. Some Democrats expected her to support Bridget Brink, another moderate, but as they split the centrist vote, progressive William Lawrence secured the nomination in the competitive district.
A source familiar with Slotkin’s thinking, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she felt a stronger connection with Maasdam and viewed him as a more viable general election candidate.
The source also noted that Slotkin’s late endorsement, just three weeks before the primary, didn’t provide enough time for voters and party leaders to rally around Maasdam.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) announced a series of endorsements for veteran candidates, primarily for general elections, while supporting a range of Democrats in primaries. This included backing Marlene Galan-Woods in Arizona’s 1st District, who lost her primary.
Kelly spokesperson Marisol Samayoa explained, “As a Navy combat veteran and former NASA astronaut, Mark Kelly knows the country is best served by leaders who represent their communities and bring a range of different backgrounds and experiences to the job. It’s why he’s endorsed candidates in competitive primaries and campaigned for Democrats up and down the ballot.”
In New Hampshire’s 1st District primary, Kelly is supporting Stefany Shaheen, daughter of his Senate colleague Jeanne Shaheen, calling her a “fearless leader” who would confront President Donald Trump.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill recently focused on endorsing military veterans. However, she is supporting Maura Sullivan in the contest against Shaheen next week, as well as Rep. Seth Moulton in his primary against Sen. Ed Markey, who has received support from progressives like Ocasio-Cortez.
“The fight isn’t moderates versus DSA candidates,” Sherrill told POLITICO earlier this month. “The fight is if we are going to have strong people in the Democratic Party that are going to actually make change to make people’s lives better, or people who you can just expect more of the same.”
The ones who (mostly) sat it out
Not every potential presidential contender was eager to make endorsements this cycle.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom refrained from federal races and the contest for his successor, even after redrawing districts to create more safely blue seats. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear endorsed after primaries in his state concluded. Rahm Emanuel, considering a White House run, also avoided endorsements.
Kamala Harris chose not to engage in most competitive primaries due to her high profile, according to a source familiar with her thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The exceptions were based on her close relationships with those she endorsed.
Harris recorded a robocall for Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Senate primary before Crockett lost to James Talarico. She supported Del. Stacey Plaskett in her successful U.S. Virgin Islands gubernatorial primary and has endorsed Dan Koh in Massachusetts’ 6th District primary next week.
All three candidates share close ties with Harris. Crockett co-chaired Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, Plaskett backed Harris in her initial presidential run in 2020, and Koh is a former Biden administration official.
