Democratic politicians appear to be using their roles as surrogates for President Joe Biden's reelection campaign to audition for a shot at the White House on the Democratic ticket in 2028.
Between speaking in key early primary states and debating a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, some of the more popular Democratic politicians might be mistaken for making a presidential bid. However, many of them happen to be involved in Biden's 2024 campaign, whether as a campaign co-chairperson or a member of its national advisory board.
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Biden's running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, has made her presidential ambitions clear. She ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary before being selected as his running mate. However, the former California senator boasts a historically low net favorability rating, per an NBC News poll earlier this summer.
Her net negative favorability of minus 17 was reportedly the lowest recorded in the survey's history.
With Harris's unpopularity in mind, several Democratic governors are sparking speculation over who might take over the party after Biden, including Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), and Wes Moore (D-MD).
Gavin Newsom
California's governor has been asked on multiple occasions whether he would be running for president against Biden in 2024, which he has denied. This was likely prompted by the significant national profile he has built for himself, running the most populous state in the country while blasting Republican governors.
Before the 2022 midterm elections, Newsom launched a billboard campaign in red states, advertising California as a place where women can obtain less-restricted abortions. He also challenged Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to a debate last year, but it wasn't accepted by the Florida governor until this summer. The two men are expected to face off on Fox News in November.
Newsom's Campaign for Democracy PAC has also ramped up its activity. Earlier this year, he traveled to several red states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, to "take the fight where freedom is most under attack." The PAC has been sending several fundraising emails per week, some advertising Newsom's national policy proposal for a 28th Amendment to be added to the Constitution to address gun violence. He has been utilizing ads on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to promote this.
Josh Shapiro
The Pennsylvania governor received widespread praise for his handling of the unexpected collapse of a portion of Interstate 95 this summer. After a fuel tanker crashed and set fire to a heavily traveled section of I-95 in Philadelphia, the highway collapsed. Shapiro made a point of keeping Pennsylvanians updated and working with Biden. The interstate section was worked on day and night, and Shapiro oversaw the highway being reopened in under two weeks, ahead of schedule.
Following the event, Shapiro saw a boost in his approval rating, which had already been over 50%. Further, nearly three-quarters of Pennsylvanians said they approved of his handling of the I-95 collapse.
Now, Shapiro is headed to New Hampshire for the state Democratic Party's 2023 convention, during which he will deliver the keynote address on Sept. 30. New Hampshire is one of the most important states during presidential election cycles due to its first-in-the-nation primary. Candidates often spend a significant portion of their campaign in New Hampshire.
Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, hasn't ruled out running for president one day, but she has made clear she won't be challenging Biden. This past summer, the governor established a new PAC called Fight Like Hell. The PAC is meant to support federal Democrats in 2024. Fight Like Hell sends frequent fundraising emails, raising money for Biden while introducing recipients to herself and her family.
J.B. Pritzker
Pritzker has similarly dismissed questions over a possible 2024 run, reiterating his support for Biden and Harris's reelection. But the Illinois governor has taken a page out of Newsom's book, taking shots at DeSantis at various points. Newsom and Pritzker have moved to prevent what they dubbed "book banning" in Florida from happening in California or Illinois. Pritzker also frequents national news shows to discuss hot-button matters such as abortion, raising his national profile.
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Wes Moore
Moore, Maryland's new governor, took over after former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan departed. He defeated a Republican candidate who had the backing of former President Donald Trump. When elected, he became the state's first black governor and only the third black person in the country to be elected to the role.
Following last week's Republican National Committee primary debate, Moore joined Morning Joe to respond to the GOP candidates' proposals. He worked over the summer to raise money for Democrats across the country just months after being sworn in. According to the Wall Street Journal, he has been attending fundraisers and events in the Hamptons in New York.