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Autumn brings cooler air and the media spotlight back to nation’s capital as Congress returns to occupied Washington. But the real heat during the summer was outside the Beltway, where Democratic governors used their executive powers to resist President Trump’s dangerous imperial overreach.
We haven’t even made it to next year’s midterm elections, but presidential politics are already in the air. The dual Trump threats to democracy and the economy have sped up the presidential calendar and forced Democratic candidates to get out of the starting blocks quickly. States like New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Iowa with early delegate selection contests in 2028 have already seen plenty of the contestants.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom elevated himself this summer when he stood up to Trump. His aggressive campaign to create additional Democratic congressional districts in his home state and his savvy national social media takeover has jump started his campaign for president. He has taken full advantage of his opportunities. The California Highway Patrol announced that it would assume responsibility for the safety of former Vice President Kamala Harris after the president abruptly cancelled her Secret Service protection detail.
A new and way-too-early national survey of Democrats by Emerson University revealed that the California governor has taken the lead in the 2028 Democratic presidential sweepstakes, doubling his vote over the summer. He enjoys the support of 25 percent of the Democrats and leads former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (16 percent) and Harris (13 percent). The other potential candidates are in single digits.
The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee will take her turn in the spotlight this fall when she embarks on a national tour to promote her book on her 2024 presidential campaign, “107 Days.” Other potential Democratic candidates — Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — will soon need to step up their games to stay in the media mix.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also challenged the president. He followed Newsom’s lead and threatened to redistrict. He could be directly in the firing line since Trump said he may send federal forces to occupy Chicago. The threat to Chicago’s autonomy could pave the way for a serious confrontation between the president and the governor. Their battle over an invasion of the Windy City could advance Pritzker’s presidential candidacy in the same way that the contest over redistricting elevated Newsom’s.
Other Democratic governors wait in the wings to get a piece of the action and a share of the presidential spotlight. Wes Moore of Maryland suggested that he might ask his legislature to create a new Democratic congressional seat and the president retaliated by threatening federal funding for the reconstruction of Baltimore’s Key Bridge. Trump has a penchant for aggression against Democratic governors who challenge him. It shouldn’t come as a shock if he sends federal troops to occupy Baltimore.
The aggressive actions of the Democratic governors will be a tough act for the Democratic leaders in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), to follow. Newsom and Pritzker have broad executive authority and friendly legislative majorities that are not available to minority leaders in Congress. While the governors have the power to act, Schumer and Jeffries need only react to MAGA initiatives.
The focus of the battle in Congress will be on the federal budget. The federal government will shut down on Oct. 1 unless Congress passes a budget for the fiscal 2026 or agrees on a continuing resolution to keep it open past the deadline.
On the House side, the House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has usually been able to keep his caucus in line on fiscal issues. So Jeffries’ role may be confined to raising issues that his party can use as talking points in next year’s competitive midterm congressional campaigns. Johnson, however, may have trouble keeping a coalition of Democrats and hardcore conservative Republicans from calling for a release of the documents that might expose Trump’s involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Schumer has more leverage than his counterpart in the House. The requirement that a spending bill needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster gives Schumer an opportunity to shape the outcome of the debate. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who might be a presidential candidate, criticized Schumer’s leadership for failing to offer resistance to the passage of Trump’s big bad budget bill earlier in the year. That places pressure on the Senate Democratic leader to fight more fiercely against Trump’s spending bills.
Fall could see the beginning of a two-front war in U.S. politics. Progressive activists will be watching closely to see how aggressively Democratic congressional leaders in Washington challenge Trump during the big spending battle. Beyond the beltway, we could see an extension of Trump’s campaign to invade and occupy cities like Chicago and Baltimore that have Democratic mayors and are located in states with Democratic governors.
Autumn may be cool, but it won’t be calm.
Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon.