Who Is Running for President in 2028? Where the Potential Candidates Stand

As of 2:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, midterm Election Day, no major Republican or Democratic figure has formally declared a 2028 presidential campaign. The best-known names are all on record as undecided, and many have tied the decision to the end of the midterms. Vice President JD Vance said on Oct. 21 that “as soon as the midterms are over” he would have to think seriously about it. Former Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN on Oct. 26 that she goes “back and forth.” Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told CBS Chicago on Oct. 8 that he would decide after the midterms. Below is where each potential candidate stands, with dates and sources.

Has anyone officially declared for president in 2028?

No major figure in either party has declared, though the Federal Election Commission already holds hundreds of minor filings that list 2028 as their election year. The FEC’s candidate file, as updated early on Nov. 3, held 495 presidential records for 2028: 128 list the Republican Party and 107 the Democratic Party, with the rest independent, minor-party or unknown. Of the 495, 481 are marked “not yet a candidate.” None belongs to anyone named on this page. Vance, Harris, Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg and the others below have no 2028 presidential record, and the only “Harris” entries are unrelated people.

Under federal law, a person becomes a candidate once they raise or spend more than $5,000 on a presidential campaign, and must then register with the FEC. Some people file without ever campaigning, so a filing is not the same as a campaign.

For polling on the 2028 field, see our separate page on Vance vs. Rubio 2028 polls . This page covers only what the potential candidates have said and done.

Which Republicans are weighing a 2028 run?

Neither JD Vance nor Marco Rubio, two Republicans often mentioned as possible 2028 candidates, has decided. In the table, “Current role” is the office each holds today. “On 2028” summarizes their latest on-record position; the bullets below give the dates.

JD Vance

• Told 2WAY’s Mark Halperin aboard Air Force Two on Monday, Oct. 19: “I really have not made up my mind about what to do in 2028.” He added that he thought President Donald Trump would endorse him if he ran, but “I haven’t talked to him about it.”
• In the same interview, he said Trump might decide to “let, like, this race play out” instead of endorsing early.
• On EWTN’s Arroyo Grande podcast on Oct. 21: “As soon as the midterms are over … I’m going to have to think seriously about it.” He named his four small children as “a consideration.”
• According to MS NOW, Trump told reporters a day after the Halperin interview that he and Vance had never discussed an endorsement. The Hill reported that Trump has called a Vance–Rubio pairing a “dream team” but has endorsed no one.

Marco Rubio

• Rubio holds two jobs: Secretary of State and National Security Adviser.
• The Hill reported on Nov. 1 that Rubio had said he has “no plans at this time” to run for president. We found that line only in The Hill.
• MS NOW reported on Nov. 2 that Rubio “hasn’t made up his mind” and is keeping his options open, citing a person familiar with his thinking. MS NOW also reported that, because of the Hatch Act, Rubio would have to resign as secretary of state to run, while Vance would not.
• In the final week of the campaign, Rubio appeared at two Trump rallies, in Texas on Oct. 27 and in Salina, Kansas, on Nov. 1. The State Department said he joined Trump in his capacity as national security adviser, and a White House official said this travel was “typical and appropriate for the role,” according to MS NOW.

We found no fresh, dated, on-record 2028 statement from other Republicans who are often mentioned, so they are not listed here.

Which Democrats are weighing a 2028 run?

No Democrat has launched a campaign; more than a dozen are widely discussed, and about ten have said on the record that they are considering it. The table uses the same columns: current office, then the latest dated position. Five of these Democrats are on today’s ballot for other offices. This page says only that they are on the ballot and will be updated after AP calls their races. Today’s House, Senate and governor results are tracked on our 2026 midterm results page .

Kamala Harris (former vice president)

• Told CNN in a report published Oct. 26: “I go back and forth. I honestly go back and forth.” She added, “There’s so many factors.”
• The Guardian reported on Nov. 2 that she has not ruled out another run and spent the closing weeks campaigning for other candidates, including in Georgia. She and Newsom also appeared together at a Los Angeles rally in the campaign’s final days, as reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Gavin Newsom (Governor of California; his term ends in January 2027)

• In a CNN interview with Jake Tapper, reported on Sept. 14, Newsom said of Harris: “I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see … I wouldn’t run if she ran.”
• He has a federal PAC, according to TribLive.

JB Pritzker (Governor of Illinois; on the Nov. 3 ballot for a third term)

• Asked on NBC’s Meet the Press on Nov. 1 whether he would run, he did not rule it out: “it’s all about what’s best for the people of Illinois, and that’s why I’m running for reelection as governor.”
• CNN reported that he worked the Hamptons fundraising circuit this summer. TribLive reported that he has a federal PAC.

Josh Shapiro (Governor of Pennsylvania; on the Nov. 3 ballot)

• Created a federal committee, New Path PAC, which TribLive reported on Oct. 16. His campaign said its purpose is to support Democratic congressional candidates in Pennsylvania.
• Asked at his debate with Republican Stacy Garrity whether he would serve all four years, he said: “The only thing I am focused on is running for reelection as governor.”
• CNN reported that he also worked the Hamptons fundraising circuit this summer.

Wes Moore (Governor of Maryland; on the Nov. 3 ballot)

• At his Oct. 6 debate, he would not commit to serving a full second term, CBS Baltimore reported.
• CNN reported on Oct. 26 that he has started telling people he will take another look at running after November.

Andy Beshear (Governor of Kentucky; chair of the Democratic Governors Association)

• CNN reported on Oct. 26, citing a person familiar with the matter, that Beshear has discussed launching a campaign shortly after the DGA’s December meeting, when his term as chair ends.
• Eric Hyers, a senior adviser to Beshear’s PAC, called that “categorically false.” He said Beshear will talk with his family at the end of the year and decide then.
• Beshear has promoted a new memoir, Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country, and spoke at a Las Vegas political event on Oct. 22.

Cory Booker (U.S. senator from New Jersey; on the Nov. 3 ballot)

• His campaign told NJ.com in late October that the Senate race is the “only election Cory is thinking about right now.”
• CNN reported on Oct. 26 that Booker “has quietly banked $20 million” and has started thinking through a strategy focused on South Carolina and Super Tuesday.

Pete Buttigieg (former transportation secretary; no current office)

• Said on The Diary of a CEO podcast, “I think I’m more inclined than not, but there’s so much we don’t know,” according to a Sinclair report carried by KATV on Aug. 3. The Hill and People also reported the remark.
• Time reported on Nov. 2 that he had campaigned in 38 states this year.

Gretchen Whitmer (Governor of Michigan; leaves office at the end of this year)

• Told the Albuquerque Journal on Oct. 18: “I don’t have anything to announce, but I’m also not gonna take anything off the table.”
• At a rally on the UNLV campus, she said she would discuss her decision in “a few weeks,” The Nevada Independent reported.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. representative from New York)

• Asked on ABC’s This Week on Aug. 9 about a 2028 presidential run, she said, “I haven’t ruled out the possibility,” and on a Senate bid, “I think that anything is possible at this juncture,” NBC News reported.
• She held an early-vote rally in North Las Vegas on Oct. 24. The Nevada Independent wrote that whether she turns that kind of draw into a presidential bid is unclear.

Ro Khanna (U.S. representative from California)

• Said in Reno in late October, the day after The Nevada Independent’s IndyFest event on Oct. 22: “It’s no secret that I’m exploring a presidential run.” The outlet reports he has visited Nevada more than any other possible candidate.

Ruben Gallego (U.S. senator from Arizona)

• Rolled out an economic agenda on Oct. 7 and told NBC News of a 2028 run, “We are absolutely thinking about it.” He campaigned in Nevada in late October, The Nevada Independent reported.

Rahm Emanuel (former ambassador to Japan; no current office)

• Told Rolling Stone in early September: “I’m more yes than no.” He said that if he runs, “I’m going to just announce it,” with no exploratory phase.
• Told CBS Chicago on Oct. 8 that he would decide after the midterms.

Mark Kelly (U.S. senator from Arizona)

• At a campaign stop in Maine on Oct. 28, he said he is considering a bid and would “make a decision after this election sometime,” the Deseret News reported.

Raphael Warnock (U.S. senator from Georgia; his own seat is next up in 2028)

• Told Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Nov. 1: “Come 2028, I will be running for high office.” He did not say which office, USA Today reported; his own Senate seat is also up that year. CNN reported on Oct. 26 that Warnock had told it he is considering a presidential run.

Jon Ossoff (U.S. senator from Georgia; on the Nov. 3 ballot)

• Has said he has “zero interest” in a 2028 presidential run, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Oct. 23.

We found no recent, on-record 2028 decision from Mark Cuban or Stephen A. Smith.

Who else says they might run in 2028?

A few people outside the usual list have posted about running, but none is a declared candidate in the usual sense.

• James Fishback, who finished third in Florida’s 2026 Republican primary for governor, posted on X on Oct. 28: “I’m running for president.” The Hill and WKMG News 6 in Orlando reported that the attached clip ends with him saying, “I’m only kidding.” Asked by News 6 whether the announcement was serious, he texted “Yes” and said an official announcement was forthcoming. He told The Hill he would hold town halls in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and “Soon after I will announce my final decision.” The Hill cited a Newsmax report of a birth date that would make him 34 on Inauguration Day. The Constitution requires a president to be at least 35. Orlando Weekly has described him as 31. The FEC file has no 2028 record in his name.
• Soulja Boy, the rapper, posted “SOULJA BOY 2028. A new chapter. A bigger vision.” on Instagram on Oct. 10, Gray News reported, adding that it was unclear whether he plans to formally launch a campaign. The FEC file has no 2028 record in his name.
• Minor filers: the FEC’s Nov. 3 file marks 14 people as statutory candidates for 2028, the FEC’s label for someone who meets the legal definition of a candidate. Most are independents or minor-party names, among them Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, the party’s 2020 nominee.

Can Trump run for a third term in 2028?

No: the 22nd Amendment says, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice,” and Trump won the presidency in 2016 and 2024. Trump has mused about running again but has also acknowledged the limit.

• At an Iowa rally reported by The Daily Beast on Oct. 23, he said, “So I think I have the right to run again.” In the same speech he said the amendment is “quite concise” and “There’s not a lot of wiggle room.”
• In a clip from Miranda Devine’s Pod Force One podcast, previewed on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures on Nov. 1, a day before the episode’s release, he said: “Look, I’d love to run again if I had the chance. But the language is very exacting.” He added, “we have more than two years left.” Mediaite reported the clip.

When are the 2028 primaries, conventions and Election Day?

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2028, and the next presidential term begins on Jan. 20, 2029. Federal law sets Election Day as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and the 20th Amendment sets Inauguration Day. Officially announced dates so far:

• Democratic early states: on Aug. 15, 2026, in Austin, the Democratic National Committee approved this early calendar. South Carolina goes first on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada (Feb. 1), New Hampshire (Feb. 8), New Mexico (Feb. 15), Michigan (Feb. 22) and Virginia (Feb. 29). Iowa is not in the early window. New Hampshire’s state law requires it to hold the first primary, which AP reported sets up a potential conflict with the DNC.
• Republican early states: Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann, who chairs the RNC’s Presidential Nominating Process Committee, said on Sept. 10, 2026, that the RNC had voted to keep the Iowa caucuses first in 2028 and to keep the carve-out system that lets a few states vote early. We found no announced Republican primary dates.
• Democratic convention: scheduled for Aug. 7–10, 2028, AP reported. The DNC narrowed its host finalists to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia on Aug. 20, 2026, and AP said a final decision was expected later this year. We found no announcement of a host city.
• Republican convention: the RNC chose Houston in August 2023. We found no announced dates.

What happens next after the midterms?

The next steps are race calls tonight and a series of personal decisions that several potential candidates have tied to the end of the midterms. Nobody has announced a date for a 2028 launch. The things already on the calendar or on the record are:

• Nov. 3–4: AP race calls for Shapiro, Pritzker, Moore, Booker and Ossoff. This page will be updated after those calls.
• “After the midterms”: Emanuel and Kelly have said they will decide after the midterms; Vance said he would “think seriously about it” then.
• “A few weeks”: Whitmer’s stated timeline for discussing her decision. Her term as governor ends at the end of this year.
• December: the Democratic Governors Association meeting, where Beshear’s term as chair ends. His adviser says he will decide at the end of the year.
• Fishback: town halls in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, then what he calls a “final decision.”
• January 2027: Newsom’s term as governor of California ends.

Anyone who launches a campaign will also have to register with the FEC once they cross the $5,000 threshold. Those filings are public.

Sources

• FEC: presidential candidate data
• FEC: bulk data downloads (candidate master file)
• National Archives: Constitution, Amendments 11–27
• NBC News: Meet the Press transcript, Nov. 1, 2026
• CNN: Harris, the midterms and the 2028 Democrats (Oct. 26)
• The National News Desk via Fox Baltimore: Vance on 2028 (Oct. 20)
• EWTN News: Vance on a 2028 run
• The Hill: Vance hones 2028 message (Nov. 1)
• MS NOW: Rubio’s campaign stops and 2028 (Nov. 2)
• The Hill: James Fishback (Oct. 28)
• ClickOrlando / WKMG News 6: Fishback says he’s running for president (Oct. 29)
• WOWT / Gray News: Soulja Boy teases 2028 bid (Oct. 12)
• The Nevada Independent: eight last-minute trips to Nevada
• Fox 32 Chicago: Newsom on Harris and 2028 (Sept. 14)
• The Guardian: Harris returns to the campaign trail (Nov. 2)
• TribLive: Shapiro creates federal PAC (Oct. 16)
• CBS Baltimore: Moore on a full second term (Oct. 6)
• Albuquerque Journal: Whitmer leaves 2028 open (Oct. 18)
• CBS Chicago: Emanuel to decide after midterms (Oct. 8)
• Yahoo News: Emanuel “more yes than no” (Sept. 2)
• Yahoo News / NJ.com: Booker and what comes after November (Oct. 27)
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Ossoff says he won’t run (Oct. 23)
• Deseret News: where top Democrats are campaigning (Nov. 1)
• Time: Buttigieg and Warnock on the midterm trail (Nov. 2)
• USA Today via Yahoo: Warnock and “high office” (Nov. 3)
• KATV / Sinclair: Buttigieg “more inclined than not” (Aug. 3)
• NBC News: Gallego’s economic agenda (Oct. 7)
• NBC News: Ocasio-Cortez on 2028 (Aug. 9)
• Yahoo News: Beshear promotes memoir (Sept. 20)
• Al Jazeera / AP: DNC finalises 2028 calendar (Aug. 15)
• WTOP / AP: DNC calendar vote and GOP calendar
• WOWT / Gray Media: Iowa GOP caucuses remain first in 2028 (Sept. 10)
• WCAX / AP: Democrats narrow 2028 convention sites (Aug. 20)
• The Daily Beast: Trump at Iowa rally (Oct. 23)
• AOL / Mediaite: Trump on Pod Force One (Nov. 1)