Staff report
The Hill, in a report by Niall Stanage, ranks the Democratic contenders for president in 2028 — and Governor Andy Beshear takes the No. 10 spot.
Reporting that the fields looks “wide open” from the distance, Stanage writes that some Democrats have been making moves that seem geared toward the presidential cycle.
In the No. 10 position is Kentucky’s own governor, Andy Beshear, who is credited with “remarkable success for a Democrat in a deep-red state.”
Stanage points out that Beshear won reelection to a second term by 5 points in 2023 while Trump got a 31-point victory in the state in 2024.
Wrote Stanage:
“Beshear has built that electoral record in part by focusing on comparatively nonpartisan topics like infrastructure investment. But he has held the liberal line on at least one hot-button topic: In March, he vetoed a Republican bill that would have almost completely banned abortion in his state.”
A dark horse, perhaps? Or do primarly voters want “a more fiery and progressive standard-bearer.”
Stanage’s top three contenders at this point are California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Alexandrai Ocasio-Cortez (NY), and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Others on the top ten list are Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.)
Stanage is the White House columnist for The Hill, a publication based in Washington, D.C. He has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Guardian, among others, and often appears on television news shows.