# Frontrunners for Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 16, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036 "2025-01-16T06:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 68
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1341 "2026-01-30T16:18:00Z")
Klobuchar is running for MN governor, so a presidential run seems very unlikely… Brian ---
**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:** [January 30, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1342 "2026-01-30T16:21:28Z")
From any rational point of view, every election in which Donald Trump was the opponent _should_ have been a landslide win. Still, the fact remains that the _only_ election we’ve won in the last three was the one in which there were widespread and highly publicized left-wing anti-racist demonstrations throughout the campaign season. You could certainly argue that this didn’t _help_, but you can’t argue that the presence of such activism is an insurmountable obstacle to Democratic hopes. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1343 "2026-01-30T16:32:12Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Klobuchar is running for MN governor, so a presidential run seems very unlikely… She’s been rumored as a 2028 presidential candidate for a long time, and there has been speculation that she’s running for governor to broaden her experience, in preparation for that. I don’t know that that’s a particularly likely thing, but there you go. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1344 "2026-01-30T16:37:06Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > From any rational point of view, every election in which Donald Trump was the opponent _should_ have been a landslide win. Sure, but not everyone in the country is rational. From a purely practical, pragmatic point of view - the election where Trump was dealing with a once in a century pandemic should never have been even remotely close. > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Still, the fact remains that the _only_ election we’ve won in the last three was the one in which there were widespread and highly publicized left-wing anti-racist demonstrations throughout the campaign season. 2016 had quite a few protests too, and of course there were _tons_ of highly publicized leftist protests in 2024 (though I wouldn’t call them _anti-racist_…). The real difference between those elections is which side was incumbent and of course the fact that in 2020 Trump was dealing with an unprecedented pandemic, a disaster the likes of which few Americans have seen in their lifetime. (I was going to say ‘only a handful’ but apparently in 2020 there were like 70,000 Americans who were over 100, so that’s more than a handful who were alive for the Spanish Flu, but just barely!) ---
**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:** [January 30, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1345 "2026-01-30T16:39:12Z")
Nobody expects the Spanish Influenza! ---
**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:** [January 30, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1346 "2026-01-30T16:41:26Z")
She’d have to start actively running for President almost immediately after being elected Governor. I can’t imagine Minnesotans would be too thrilled about that. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1347 "2026-01-30T16:52:08Z")
I really like Pritzker and have a lot of respect for the job he’s done. Also, and this is sad to say, I believe we will attract the votes of more moderate Republicans and swing voters with a white male candidate than with any other. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1348 "2026-01-30T17:09:08Z")
I like Pritzker too, but there are some potential negatives. He’d be easy to portray as an elitist, since he literally is part of the 0.01%. He hangs out in Vegas gambling millions of dollars per weekend. He’s also Jewish, though not outspokenly pro-Israel like Shapiro is. Silver notes that he’s visibly less overweight than he used to be, which could hint that a run is coming. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1349 "2026-01-30T17:35:56Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > The Democratic candidate should offer a general amnesty to all undocumented foriegn nationals (without felony convictions) currently in the country and the camps, while taking the resources (and the few useful personnel) from ICE and using it to control our borders, once and for all. Migrant workers would be licensed and allocated work visas as needed. > > That would be the American way forward. Personally I’d love to see this but I worry that any Democratic candidate will remain susceptible to an attack along the lines of “they just want open borders again!” (although I am sure this will happen regardless of the candidate’s actual position). I am worried that Trump’s administration has put some straight up racist policies in place that the next squishy moderate Democrat will decide they have no choice but to keep. However, I would love seeing a progressive candidate getting in MAGA’s face and saying “goddamn right we’re opening the border, die mad about it.” If they’re going to attack you no matter what you do, you might as well lean into it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1350 "2026-01-30T21:41:44Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > “Abolish ICE” is a call for the Trump-47-era agency with its massive influx of untrained, unvetted, unprofessional, and biased thugs to be abolished, nothing less but also nothing more. Look, this is getting off the track here, but INS/ICE has been a functioning agency for some 90 years. Until last year, when it was corrupted by trump. It isnt ICE, it’s trump who is the problem. So it should be- “Abolish trump”! > [@DWMarch](#): > > Personally I’d love to see this but I worry that any Democratic candidate will remain susceptible to an attack along the lines of “they just want open borders again!” Yes, but it could work with some modifications "_Anyone who have lived in the USA for over 10 years, has filed and paid their taxes, and has no felony or gang related issues"._ "Defund the Police’ has LOST the Dems elections. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1351 "2026-01-30T21:43:34Z")
Bullshit. ICE was established in 2003. It’s not remotely a functional agency, except that its function is to terrorize Americans. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1352 "2026-01-30T21:54:42Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Bullshit. ICE was established in 2003. It’s not remotely a functional agency, except that its function is to terrorize Americans. The INS was functionally renamed to ICE. I even wrote > [@DrDeth](#): > > The INS was founded in 1933. Up until trump, ICE served a useful function. > [@DrDeth](#): > > The Border patrol hasnt done the job of INS/ICE since 1933. In 2002 after 9/11, the INS was split into ICE as the Law Enforcement arm, and USCIS for issuing Green cards and the like. The enforcement arm of the INS did what ICE is _supposed_ to be doing. And it did so just fine until trump became President the second time. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1353 "2026-01-30T22:08:08Z")
ICE isn’t just a rebadge of the INS – it’s a new agency that took functions of existing agencies. Abolish ICE, and restore the old agencies (hell, abolish the DHS and redistribute its functions as it was before). It’s become a symbol of hatred and terrorism against minorities. And “abolish ICE” is a majority position among Democrats, and a plurality position nationally. If an agency is murdering American citizens, and not facing a mass internal revolt and mass resignations, then it’s rotten to the core and must be abolished. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1354 "2026-01-30T22:09:42Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > ICE isn’t just a rebadge of the INS Please take this to a new thread, I will no longer discuss this here. It is only vaguely connected to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1355 "2026-01-30T22:11:43Z")
The position of candidates is definitely relevant to the thread (but I’ll agree that the history of ICE and INS is not). I think it’s very, very unlikely that the Democratic nominee isn’t in favor of abolishing ICE. Just like it’s very, very unlikely, IMO, that the nominee won’t be in favor of stopping military aid to Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1356 "2026-01-30T22:12:40Z")
Newsom is dead to me. He stands for nothing. Fortunately, the voters will reject him at their first opportunity. He’ll probably be the first to drop out. > [@Smapti](#): > > Gavin “Blue MAGA” Newsom has his finger on the pulse of the electorate yet again, I see. He’s doing something with that finger, all right. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1357 "2026-01-30T22:30:52Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > . He stands for nothing "\* **Mask Ban & Identification:** Legislation (SB 627) mandates that ICE agents show badges and forbids them from wearing masks, aiming to prevent “disappearances” by unidentified personnel. - **Sensitive Locations:** New laws designate schools and hospitals as safe zones, restricting ICE from entering without judicial warrants. - **Legal & Law Enforcement Action:** Newsom authorized local law enforcement to investigate and potentially prosecute ICE agents for unlawful conduct, emphasizing state authority to protect residents." - and there is this. > **[California Democrats have new ideas for confronting ICE: Taxes, lawsuits and...](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/01/democrats-immigration-legislation/)** > > The California Senate passed a bill that would make it easier to sue federal officers over civil rights violations. Recent shootings of civilians by immigration agents in Minnesota lent urgency to the measure, one of several targeting ICE. So real things CA can actually do, not fantasies, like “defund the Police”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1358 "2026-01-30T22:37:56Z")
“Reform ICE” might as well be “reform the KKK”. Any governmental organization that can terrorize so many and murder American citizens without mass whistle blowers and resignations is a broken organization that cannot be fixed, only abolished and replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1359 "2026-01-30T22:38:19Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > He stands for nothing. > [@DrDeth](#): > > "\* **Mask Ban & Identification:** Legislation (SB 627) mandates that ICE agents show badges and forbids them from wearing masks, aiming to prevent “disappearances” by unidentified personnel. No: that’s what he stands _against_. Standing _against_ ICE is important–but it’s not standing _for_ anything. Can you without looking them up name three policy initiatives that Newsom supports? Now, by way of comparison, can you name three policy initiatives that Mamdani supports? There’s a reason why candidates like Mamdani–and Obama, and, yes, Trump–get people excited. When you stand _for_ something, when you have a dream about the country and you share it, people get drawn into the dream. Democrats need a full, unapologetic, full-throated ballad, a song of America that everyone can sing. You won’t excite the masses by saying what you’re against, no matter how important it is to be against things. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036/1360 "2026-01-30T22:46:48Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Democrats need a full, unapologetic, full-throated ballad, a song of America that everyone can sing. Excellent answer! _I hear America singing the varied carols I hear_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036.md?page=67) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028/1013036.md?page=69)