Two Democratic favorites to run for president in 2028 threw fuel into the fire of speculation on Tuesday night, after they hinted at the prospect of running as a team.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) stopped in Washington, D.C., during a publicity tour for his new book, Go and Do Likewise, and held an event moderated by Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD). Beshear hinted at a run for president, telling his fellow governor that he’s “not sure” he’s done with running for office, a remark that was granted a standing ovation.
Moore suggested that Beshear would have his backing in the 2028 race, saying that the Kentucky Democrat’s voice “is going to be necessary” going forward.
Beshear hinted at Moore’s involvement in the 2028 race as well, at one point shooting him a glance and saying, “We may have a lot of great candidates.”
“Based on the time we’ve been here tonight, I think we’d make a pretty good team,” Beshear said.
As per usual, Moore didn’t make any overt suggestion that he would run for president in 2028, though he’s dogged by calls to run in nearly every public appearance he makes. The Maryland governor has repeatedly insisted that he has no plans to run in 2028, despite being floated in most lists of likely Democratic presidential candidates next cycle.
Beshear’s presidential hopes were first floated in 2024 during the brief window in which Vice President Kamala Harris searched for her running mate. The Kentucky governor was floated as a likely choice due to his appeal as a rare blue governor of a deep red state. His sudden surge in media appearances at the time suggested he was publicly auditioning for the role.
Beshear is more openly toying with a 2028 run, saying previously that he was “comfortable” with the speculation.
Though the midterm elections are still in full swing, the first murmurs of the 2028 election season are already underway. Another top contender, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), said earlier this month that he wouldn’t run if his fellow California Democrat, Harris, decided to.
Progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has arguably been the most overt in her intentions, publicly floating the prospect of a 2028 run on several occasions.
Polling is highly dynamic so long before the 2028 election, but Harris usually tops polls as the favored candidate. One of the most recent polls, commissioned by the Financial Times, has Harris with 29% of the vote, followed by Newsom at 14%, Ocasio-Cortez at 11%, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 9%, and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) at 8%.
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Beshear is usually in the low single-digits, if he’s included in the poll at all.
On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance is the clear favorite by a long shot in every poll, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a distant second. One of the most recent polls, commissioned by the Financial Times, had Vance in first with 42% of the vote, followed by Rubio at 21%, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) at 9%, and Donald Trump Jr. at 7%.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
