Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Those of us who cannot believe that Donald Trump is president of the United States also cannot wait for his term to end.

If 2028 sounds like a long way off, it is. 

I hope we survive.

So it was that I read with interest a story from hill.com that listed contenders on all sides who might be aiming toward 2028, still more than two years away.

Here is how the story started (and for much of the following, I give credit to hill.com):

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

“Potential Democrat 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 conference last week as they pitched visions for their party’s future. 

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

So, with that preamble, hill.com provided a roundup of the top 2028 presidential hopefuls.  Here’s the list by category:

Democrat comeback bids

Harris, who ran in 2020 and became the party’s pick in 2024, has remained at the fore of Democrat 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 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 Democrat 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 Governor Gavin Newsom who is term-limited.  Long suspected of national ambitions, he’s come in second behind Harris in recent polls of a possible Democrat primary.

And more Democrat governors hinted at potential presidential campaigns.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, 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 Governor Wes Moore, who has repeatedly said he’s not yet thinking about a 2028 run as he runs for re-election as governor this fall, called on Democrats to “show me something now” when it comes to party action and momentum in the midterms. 

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

And there are still more Democrat governors’ names in the mix, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Michigan Governor 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.  

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.

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 Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a popular progressive who joined the House during the 2018 blue wave.  As her rallies across the country with Senator Bernie Sanders cement her as an heir to his progressive movement, she’s seen a surge of momentum amid 2028 chatter.

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

Democrat Senators Cory Booker (New Jersey), Mark Kelly (Arizona) and Ruben Gallego (Arizona) have been named alongside blue state governors in 2028 chatter. 

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.  

Again, 2028 seems like a long way off, but for a political junkie like me, it will be interesting to keep tabs on who’s rising and who’s falling.  And, as well, looking forward to post-Trump, no matter who wins.