With President Donald Trump tearing up the White House, Democrats are scrambling to find their presidential pick for the 2028 race. It’s too early to tell who will be at the top of either party’s ticket, but already, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett said donations are rolling in for one person.
“I had a donor on the phone with me, telling me that all the donors are lining up behind that candidate,” Crockett said without revealing who exactly is high on the list. But according to her, one thing is clear. “I can tell, and I tell you, it’s not a Black person nor a woman,” she continued on SiriusXM’s “Urban View.”
Before you get riled up over Crockett’s comments, let’s remember one thing: Americans voted against a female candidate... twice. So after the losses of former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Crockett said her party has “fears.” She continued, “Every time we voted for a woman, we’ve lost so far.” Instead, Crockett revealed, “There’s a lot of people that are like, ‘You know what? Like, let’s go find the safest white boy we can find.’ ”
If safe is what the Democratic party wants, then The Root has the answers! Here’s a few candidates that are more than likely safe picks for president.
Gavin Newsom
Arguably at the top of the list is Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom. The 57-year-old is in a unique position as a charismatic politician representing the third largest state. Newsom is term-limited, meaning he’ll leave office in 2027. The next thing for him, as many have suggested, might be a presidential campaign.
Newsom, who was even considered to replace Biden in the 2024 race, is not afraid to call out Trump and his MAGA movement. Already, the governor has experience in high stake situations, such as dealing with the California wildfires or even debating Florida Gov. Ron Desantis.
Josh Shapiro
The governor first got national attention during the presidential race to secure Pennsylvania. As a democratic governor in a relatively red state, Shapiro has had to prove himself and stand up directly to Trump and other Republicans.
The 51-year-old set a state record during the 2022 gubernatorial election with the most votes in his state’s history, according to ABC 27 News. Shapiro is also popular among young voters, aged 18 to 29, according to the Pennsylvania Capital Star. Just last month, Shapiro made headlines after his house was set on fire in an alleged antisemitic attack, according to MSNBC.
JB Pritzker
One thing to know about Ill. Gov JB Pritzker is that he’s not afraid to say what everyone is thinking. Recently, Pritzker called out Trump, Elon Musk and MAGA, earning much respect within the Democratic party because of it.
He has a net worth of $3.6 billion, according to Forbes, so clearly, Pritzker isn’t quite like the rest of his Democratic peers. But as someone who comes from a family of billionaires, Pritzker could present a good middle ground for voters regardless of their economic class.
It’s important to note, he was one of Harris’ many options for running mate. Although, Gov. Tim Walz was ultimately chosen, many experts argued Pritzker might’ve been a better choice.
Pete Buttigieg
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ran against former President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 presidential election. In the end, Buttigieg didn’t get far in the race, but the 43-year-old caught Americans’ attention, and his momentum hasn’t stopped since then.
The former South Bend, Ind. mayor was tapped by Biden to serve as Transportation Secretary in 2021. And although he’s out of the White House, some say Buttigieg could make a comeback at the top of the Democrats’ ticket. Buttigieg already made history as America’s first openly queer presidential candidate. And if chosen again, he has the potential to be the country’s first gay president.
Meanwhile, Trump hasn’t explicitly named his successor yet. The obvious picks are Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016.