# Frontrunners for Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, {DO NOT rehash past candidates} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 16, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036 "2025-01-16T06:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 139
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2773 "2026-10-18T13:10:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Pritzker is still my top choice, but he’s not on a lot of people’s radar right now because he’s coasting to reelection and isn’t getting the coverage that Ossoff and El-Sayed are. I suspect that once the midterms are over he’ll start making moves to start a campaign. Yes, and i think there’s a good chance that the nominee will be someone i haven’t heard of, yet. > [@Aspenglow](#): > > Arne Duncan: Who? (I know who he is, but I doubt many others do.) I don’t know who he is. I am not the most knowledgeable voter. But I’m an engaged voter, and will seriously consider the people who throw their hat in the ring. I _have_ heard of Pritzker, of course. I could get behind him. I’m waiting to see who else steps forward. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2774 "2026-10-18T15:13:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yes, and i think there’s a good chance that the nominee will be someone i haven’t heard of, yet. Could be. I’d doubt it. The bench of potential candidates discussed broadly and in this thread, that you have heard of, is pretty deep. Certainly it is not impossible for one of the less widely knowns, like Galleago (Senator AZ), to win, but someone not even mentioned yet? Sure his level may be not heard of by a large number of voters … but if someone is engaged enough to be reading this sort of thread they have read about him. And that bench? Pretty full of pretty good choices already and only a few clunkers. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2775 "2026-10-18T16:00:12Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Could be. I’d doubt it. The bench of potential candidates discussed broadly and in this thread, that you have heard of, is pretty deep. Yeah, it’s a decent bet that it won’t be someone currently topping the “most likely” lists, or someone that the majority of Americans haven’t heard of, but we Dopers in the P&E forum have heard of a heck of a lot of politicians. It’ll almost certainly be a current governor or senator, which puts the count of potentials at around 67. It might be a representative, but AOC is the only one I’d give significant odds. And it might also be someone who’s going to be elected governor or senator this cycle, but that probably doesn’t expand the list very far, either. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2776 "2026-10-18T16:06:08Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t know who he is. Arne Duncan was Obama’s Secretary of Education. Prior to that, he was the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. He’s an expert on education, but he has never held elected office. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2777 "2026-10-18T17:53:14Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > her husband has privately told _some people_ he would prefer she didn’t run and _some donors_ have told her directly that a bid would be a long shot, _according to people familiar with the conversations._ Yeah, Bigfoot and I were discussing this over lunch in the Bermuda Triangle. The Loch Ness Monster couldn’t make it, but he doesn’t think Harris should run either. These sort of “quotes” drive me to drink. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2778 "2026-10-18T18:03:06Z")
My impression is that that maybe you can just walk there? 😁 I take it the other way. Those familiar with the conversations are told with specific knowledge that they are who you tell when you want information broadcast widely. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2779 "2026-10-18T18:03:29Z")
Well, given that the Chicago public school system is universally admired as a model of educational success, that should be a strong credential! Seriously, this guy is literally less qualified for the Presidency than Pete Buttigieg. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2780 "2026-10-18T19:08:26Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Yeah, Bigfoot and I were discussing this over lunch in the Bermuda Triangle. The Loch Ness Monster couldn’t make it, but he doesn’t think Harris should run either. > > These sort of “quotes” drive me to drink. Yeah- > her husband has privately told some people he would prefer she didn’t run and some donors have told her directly that a bid would be a long shot, according to people familiar with the conversations. Is a totally meaningless and fact free statement. Mind you spouse often are worried about the stress of running for office, that is no surprise. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2781 "2026-10-18T19:27:24Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Yes, and i think there’s a good chance that the nominee will be someone i haven’t heard of, yet. > > Could be. I’d doubt it. The bench of potential candidates discussed broadly and in this thread, that you have heard of, is pretty deep. Eh, i have an unusually bad memory for names. So maybe i should say not that i think it’s likely to be someone I’ve never heard of, but someone whose name will be unfamiliar to me until much later in the game. That includes a lot of people mentioned here. But it excludes Newsome, Harris, and even Rahm Emmanuel ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2782 "2026-10-18T19:56:33Z")
DSeid’s quote is from the Wall Street Journal. I doubt they just made those quotes up. Presumably the reporters did speak to people who could credibly claim to have first-hand knowledge of those conversations. Both the reporter and the source would suffer major reputational damage if they were caught lying. The fact that a story in a reputable newspaper uses anonymous sources doesn’t mean that it isn’t legitimate news. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2783 "2026-10-18T20:52:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Mind you spouse often are worried about the stress of running for office, that is no surprise. Just a reminder: The plural of “spouse” is “spice”. _The More You Know_. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2784 "2026-10-19T18:06:04Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > If that’s the kind of person he marries, who will he appoint as Attorney General? If you want to know what someone will do in the future, look at what he’s done in the past. Gavin Newsom has been governor of California since January 7, 2019. He’s made many appointments during that time, including judges and heads of regulatory agencies. I don’t know of any appointment he’s made that would suggest he’d appoint a lunatic like Guilfoyle to any federal position should he become president. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2785 "2026-10-19T18:25:06Z")
Yeah no fan of Newsom but who one is attracted to romantically is not a fair metric of who one would hire professionally. ---
**Author:** ![Calder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Calder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calder)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2786 "2026-10-19T21:27:14Z")
Disliking a politician because their ex-wife of more than 20 years went MAGA Republican 10 years after the divorce just screams I dislike this politician and am looking for a reason to pick someone else. I don’t grok the Gavin hate. I don’t have him in my top 3 either, but I don’t seem to have the visceral reaction that many others have. This has been bouncing around in my noggin for a bit, so I will open a thread so I don’t sidetrack this one. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2787 "2026-10-20T02:03:17Z")
> [@Calder](#): > > Disliking a politician because their ex-wife of more than 20 years went MAGA Republican 10 years after the divorce just screams I dislike this politician and am looking for a reason to pick someone else. I don’t grok the Gavin hate. Name recognition. Harris and Newsom have the most, so they get the most hate. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2788 "2026-10-20T02:55:14Z")
My current tiers: 1a/1b AOC, Ossoff – young progressives ready to lead 2 Newsom/Kelly – no major negatives but less appealing than tier 1 3 Buttigieg/Shapiro – exactly the sort of uninspiring establishment centrists that got the Democrats into this mess. Also, Buttigieg is unqualified and Shapiro is way too pro-Israel. 4 Harris – like tier 3, but also a proven loser. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2789 "2026-10-20T02:59:52Z")
Related to a discussion in another thread, let’s have a show of hands. Of the seven candidates I just mentioned-- Ossoff, AOC, Newsom, Kelly, Buttigieg, Shapiro, Harris – do you think _at least one_ of them would be both a good candidate and a good President? _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2789))_ ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2790 "2026-10-20T03:01:48Z")
AOC is the only one out of that lot that I’d be excited to see run, though she’s probably better off running for Schumer’s seat in '28 instead. A Pritzker/AOC ticket might be unbeatable. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2791 "2026-10-20T04:19:42Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Of the seven candidates I just mentioned-- Ossoff, AOC, Newsom, Kelly, Buttigieg, Shapiro, Harris I think all of them but Buttigieg would, and that is just because he has no real experience and we really do not know what he would be like. I do not think being Jewish is a major issue. Sure, maybe lose them a few votes, but the hard core evangelicals are almost all MAGAs anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2792 "2026-10-20T04:24:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I do not think being Jewish is a major issue. Agreed. Anyone who refuses to vote for a candidate because they’re Jewish is someone who realistically was never going to vote for any Democrat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036.md?page=138) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036.md?page=140)