Top Democrats Use 2026 Primaries to Build 2028 Bids, Backing Candidates in Dozens of Races
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 27
Top Democrats Use 2026 Primaries to Build 2028 Bids, Backing Candidates in Dozens of Races
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Aug 27
Summary
Democratic hopefuls for 2028 are using 2026 primary endorsements to test messages, build donor and activist networks, and shape the party’s ideological direction before the presidential race begins.
Ro Khanna and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been the most visible progressive players, with Khanna backing more than a dozen candidates and Ocasio-Cortez acting more selectively as a late-stage closer in battleground contests.
Pete Buttigieg has worked a more moderate lane, campaigning in key states and scoring mixed results in Senate and House primaries, while governors such as JB Pritzker and Josh Shapiro mostly focused on home-state races they could influence directly.
Those endorsements have exposed strategic splits inside the party: moderates divided in races such as Michigan’s 7th District, progressives argued over risk-taking, and some high-profile figures saw losses despite national backing.
Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, Rahm Emanuel and largely Kamala Harris mostly stayed out, underscoring that for potential 2028 contenders, endorsements have become an early test of whether to accumulate political capital or conserve it.