Democrats’ Success in 2026 Midterms Boosts Profiles of Potential 2028 Candidates

As Democrats revel in their sweeping victories in the 2026 midterm elections, political pundits and spectators are already turning their attention to the 2028 election, and considering who could be the party’s next standard-bearer. After the 2024 election, there was no clear leader of the party. But that now Democrats won major victories in deep-red states, some figures are getting new attention. Jon Ossoff:The incumbent Democratic senator in Georgia, Jon Ossoff, won a major victory. At the beginning of 2026, Republicans saw the Georgia Senate race — in what was a reliably red state for decades — as one of their best pickup opportunities.However, the race turned into an uphill battle. The Republican nominee for Senate, Mike Collins, was mired in controversy over his inflammatory social media posts and his son-in-law’s history of sharing antisemitic content online. Mr. Collins has denounced antisemitism.Ahead of the election, polls showed Mr. Ossoff leading Mr. Collins, by an average of eight points. But on Tuesday night, his margin of victory was more than double his polling average. Mr. Ossoff, 39, said during a Senate debate that he has “zero interest” in running for president. But his resounding victory in a ruby-red state has sparked speculation about his future.On the prediction market Kalshi, Mr. Ossoff leads the pack of potential 2028 Democratic candidates, with a 27 percent chance of winning the party’s nomination. Last spring, Kalshi put his odds of winning the nomination at around 8 percent. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez appears to have gained momentum after the midterms. The left-wing firebrand promoted and campaigned with several far-left candidates, such as Michigan’s senator-elect, Abdul El-Sayed, and Maine’s senator-elect, Troy Jackson. While Republicans sought to link the Democratic Party to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s policies and warned that voting for Democrats would lead to the spread of communism in America, the party is projected to win nearly 260 seats in the House and at least 55 seats in the Senate — more seats in each chamber than most political analysts expected. As part of that sweep, at least five candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America were elected to Congress: Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez, Melat Kiros, Donavan McKinney, and Chris Rabb. After asserting influence in the 2026 campaign and seeing Democrats win bigger than expected, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s odds of winning her party’s nomination rose to 14 percent, putting her in second place. Gavin Newsom: California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has long been seen as a potential Democratic candidate and whose term ends in January, has a 14 percent chance to become the Democratic nominee, according to Kalshi.The governor of America’s largest state by population has been a vocal critic of President Trump and sought to spearhead resistance to the second Trump Administration. However, in September, he said he would not run for president if Vice President Kamala Harris did so. Josh Shapiro:Another potential 2028 candidate is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who won re-election by more than 20 points in the Keystone State. Mr. Shapiro, who is Jewish and supports Israel, was floated as a potential vice presidential pick for Ms. Harris in 2024 and was seen as someone who could appeal to Jewish voters turned off by what they see as rampant anti-Israel sentiment in the Democratic Party.On Kalshi, Mr. Shapiro has the fourth-best chance of becoming the party’s nominee, with users giving him a 4.7 percent chance. Kamala Harris:Rounding out the top five potential candidates is Ms. Harris, who has a 4.5 percent chance of becoming the Democrats’ presidential nominee, according to Kalshi.Ms. Harris has not ruled out making another bid for president. She campaigned for several Democratic candidates this cycle, including Mr. Ossoff. She also made a stop in Mississippi to campaign for the Democratic Senate candidate, Scott Colom, in his bid to unseat Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. In the deep red state, that race has turned out to be incredibly close and was not called as of Wednesday afternoon. Other stars:The 2026 midterm also significantly boosted the profile of other Democrats who won in red states, such as James Talarico, who became the first Democrat since 1988 to win a Senate seat in Texas. Another new star is Adam Hamilton, who unseated the incumbent Republican senator in Kansas, Roger Marshall, and became the first Democrat since 1932 to win a Senate race in the state. Mr. Talarico, a seminarian, and Mr. Hamilton, a Methodist minister, drew attention not just for their victories in deeply red states but also for offering a potential road map for Christian Democratic candidates seeking to discuss their faith and win back White Christian voters who have drifted away from the party.

Democrats’ Success in 2026 Midterms Boosts Profiles of Potential 2028 Candidates

Democrats’ Success in 2026 Midterms Boosts Profiles of Potential 2028 Candidates

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