andy beshear
Age: 47 years old.
Current position: Governor of Kentucky.
Beshear, the son of a popular former Kentucky governor, has won three statewide elections in the deep red state, once as attorney general and twice as governor. In the wake of Democratic losses in the 2024 election, he told the New York Times that he would focus on core issues such as good jobs, affordable health care, education, public safety, and good roads and bridges. I wrote that by correctly guessing, you can win back voters. He has been sworn in as the next president of the Democratic Governors Association in 2026, meaning he will take a leading role in the effort to win the governor’s seat in the midterm elections.
pete buttigieg
Age: 42 years old.
Current position: Secretary of Transportation.
Mr. Buttigieg speaks eight languages, attended Harvard University, Oxford University and McKinsey University, and served in the military in Afghanistan. He won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Iowa in 2020 and has been praised for his communication skills and ability to connect with voters, especially on the conservative Fox News network. A native of Indiana, he recently became a Michigan resident. But some Democrats may question whether the United States is ready to elect its first openly gay president.
kamala harris
Age: 60 years old.
Current position: Vice President.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Harris remains the favorite to win. Her defenders argue that it prevented Biden from taking over the race with 107 days left, and point out that she was still within 1.5 percentage points of Trump in the national popular vote. They also point to the experience she gained running national campaigns. Critics say her spending of more than $1 billion is not enough and that defeated Democrats tend not to be given second chances. Coupled with Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, the party may be wary of nominating another woman anytime soon.
wes moore
Age: 46 years old.
Current position: Governor of Maryland.
Maryland’s first black governor is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. Mr. Moore is a military veteran, Rhodes scholar, and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a New York poverty charity. Supporters say he has the natural charisma to make a credible presidential bid. But in August, Moore wrote that he had received the Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan 18 years ago, but that he ultimately never received it, and amended his White House scholarship application. He said it was an “honest mistake”.
chris murphy
Age: 51 years old.
Current position: Connecticut State Senate.
Murphy has served in the Senate since 2013, and has worked on several policy areas, particularly health care, foreign policy, and gun safety legislation in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I am active in Murphy gained attention for his passionate speeches on the Senate floor and his direct engagement on social media. he tweeted after Democrats suffered a landslide defeat in November. “It’s time to rebuild the left. We are oblivious to the crisis of meaning and purpose that fuels MAGA. We refuse to make big fights. Our tents are too small. ”
gavin newsome
Age: 57 years old.
Current position: Governor of California.
As governor of California, Newsom is known for his progressive policies on climate change, health care, gun control and criminal justice reform. Mr. Newsom, with his poisonous tongue and telegenic appearance, built national recognition by challenging Mr. Trump as Mr. Biden’s top surrogate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a 2023 televised debate. He will benefit from a strong fundraising network and is working to establish himself as a leader of the anti-Trump resistance movement. Mr. Trump branded him “Governor Gavin Newcome,” and Mr. DeSantis called him “a manipulative, slippery politician who is bankrupting the country.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Age: 35 years old.
Current position: U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Ocasio-Cortez, a founding member of the House progressive “Squad,” is the political successor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, who excited the party’s left wing in the 2016 and 2020 primaries. But she has also proven herself loyal to party leadership in recent days, and has been an ardent supporter of Biden and Harris. While supporters praise her star quality, mastery of social media and ability to connect with working-class voters, Republicans will relish the chance to cast her as a radical socialist.
Jared Polis
Age: 49 years old.
Current position: Governor of Colorado.
Polis is America’s first openly gay governor. Columnist George Will said Polis’ sexuality was “not interesting enough” to voters in the 2018 gubernatorial race. The former five-term congressman gained attention for his wealth as a technology entrepreneur and his liberal stance. He broke with other Democrats over his opposition to mask and vaccine mandates during the coronavirus pandemic. Colorado bucked the national trend and moved sharply to the left in the 2024 election.
JB Pritzker
Age: 59 years old.
Current position: Governor of Illinois.
Mr. Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel chain with strong fundraising capabilities, is working to “stop Trump” in the state, saying, “You are here for my people. You are coming through me.” As governor, he signed legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 and several reproductive rights bills. He has built relationships through national nonprofit organizations, but his wealth could be an Achilles’ heel among Democrats seeking to embrace economic populism.
Josh Shapiro
Age: 51 years old.
Current position: Governor of Pennsylvania.
Shapiro, who has won three statewide elections in Pennsylvania, was seen as Harris’ running mate, but lost to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. According to Politico, Shapiro has already received calls from Pennsylvania Democratic leaders urging him to run for the White House. Critics on the left are concerned about his support for private school voucher programs and Israel’s war on Gaza. If elected, he will become America’s first Jewish president.
Raphael Warnock
Age: 55 years old.
Current position: Georgia State Senate.
Mr. Warnock has supported progressive policies such as expanding health care, protecting the environment and voting rights. He was the first member of his family to graduate from college and became senior pastor of the Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached. An inspirational orator, he often highlights his upbringing in poverty and his path to becoming the first black senator from conservative Georgia. He once said, “Only in America can my story come true.”
Gretchen Whitmer
Age: 53 years old.
Current position: Governor of Michigan.
Whitmer has a track record of success in battleground states, including in 2020 when she confronted Trump over federal aid for the coronavirus pandemic and gained national attention after surviving a botched kidnapping attempt. Collected. President Trump called her “that woman from Michigan.” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told NBC News: “People love her, even if they disagree with her opinions. She has a unique personality with grit and grace, and she truly cares about people and is a mainstay who never backs down from a fight. She has what it takes to unite people and lead this country.”
