April 2, 2026, 6:15 p.m.
Potential 2028 Democratic candidates are hitting the ground running before even announcing their campaigns.
Hotline’s 2028 travel map will track the shadow campaigners’ visits across the country, from stumps alongside downballot candidates to early-state speeches. The map takes an expansive look at any Democrat who might run for the White House in two years. This map does not include candidates’ book-tour stops unless they are politically significant—for instance, former Vice President Kamala Harris’s stump with Tennessee-07 candidate Aftyn Behn in Nashville and California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stop in New Hampshire.
For candidates launching shadow campaigns, a trip to the historically significant Iowa or a battleground state like Michigan can clue politicos into their presidential ambitions. They can also build their résumés by campaigning alongside Democrats across the country. Last year, national Democrats flocked to Mikie Sherrill’s and Abigail Spanberger’s gubernatorial campaigns in New Jersey and Virginia, respectively. Since then, Democrats including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sens. Ruben Gallego, Mark Kelly, and Cory Booker have stumped with House candidates in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Texas.
Shadow presidential candidates can simultaneously traverse the country and make inroads with Democratic operatives and donors by headlining state parties’ fundraising dinners. Democrats like Gallego, Booker, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have traveled to Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, and Missouri to speak at state party events.
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