Several governors—and potential 2028 contenders—say they will stand up to Trump; election for new DNC chair also looms

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), seen with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), is expected to be a leader of the opposition during the Trump administration. PHOTO: MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA/SHUTTERSTOCK

WASHINGTON—Democrats are entering the wilderness. They will spend the coming months and years looking for the leaders who can propel them back to power.

President-elect Donald Trump’s convincing defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris—along with President Biden’s impending departure from the White House—leaves the Democratic Party without a clear standard-bearer amid the prospect of full Republican control of all three branches of government.

Here’s a look at influential Democrats, both inside and outside the Capitol, who will seek to lead challenges to Trump’s second term—and potentially the next Democratic ticket.

The Insiders

Hakeem Jeffries: Democrats are currently a long-shot to retake the majority with several races yet to be called, but either way the House leader from New York will quickly become a key opposition leader when Trump is sworn in. When Republicans struggled to anoint their own leader last year (before settling on Speaker Mike Johnson), Jeffries showed a penchant for keeping his caucus together while staying connected to his working-class district. “People have been feeling economically distressed for decades—certainly in many communities of color—and we have to do a better job of transforming that economic reality,” Jeffries said in an interview with NY1 after the election.

Chuck Schumer: Schumer will shift back to being minority leader in the Senate after Republicans won control of the chamber. He will need to keep Democrats united and will look for any ways to work across the aisle. He played a similar role during the first Trump administration. In a statement after the election he said, “The only way to get things done in the Senate is through bipartisan legislation while maintaining our principles—and the next two years will be no different.” 

Jamie Raskin: Raskin led Trump’s second impeachment trial and served on the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. As the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Raskin will be one of the lawmakers charged with seeking to hold the Trump administration accountable and shine a light on any malfeasance—a job made more difficult in the minority. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.) addressing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. PHOTO: TOM WILLIAMS/CQ ROLL CALL/ZUMA PRESS

Governors

Gavin Newsom: It took the California governor all of one day to announce himself as a leader of the anti-Trump resistance. Newsom, who has often sought out battles with prominent national Republicans, called for a special legislative session in early December “to safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.” Newsom said California will “stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law.”

Gretchen Whitmer: Is there a national future for “Big Gretch”? The Michigan governor, who earned her nickname from a rapper, called on the people of her state to pull together following the election, saying, “Let’s remember that we are a nation of good, kind people that have more in common with each other than not.” Her record of governing in a swing state—and winning support across the political spectrum—will continue to draw interest as Democrats consider their future.  

Josh Shapiro: The Pennsylvania governor is signaling bipartisanship. In a postelection message this week, Shapiro said the will of the people must be respected, promising to “find ways to bring people back together and move the ball down the field to put points on the board for all of us.” Shapiro, who was passed over as Harris’s running mate, has cast himself as a “get s— done” Democrat. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a Harris campaign rally in July. PHOTO: RACHEL WISNIEWSKI/REUTERS

JB Pritzker: The billionaire Illinois governor, who helped oversee the party’s summer convention in Chicago, issued a stark warning to the incoming Trump administration this week. “You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker said Thursday, referring to hard-working residents of his state who he said dealt with “chaos, retribution and disarray” from the previous Trump White House.

The Base

Bernie Sanders: The Vermont senator and two-time presidential candidate issued a scathing statement after the election, questioning the Democratic Party’s commitment to working-class voters. Sanders just won re-election at age 83, and the liberal lion will be a vocal leader on countering Trump and ensuring that Democrats don’t abandon the progressive principles that animated his White House campaigns. He is already a foil to Democrats who say Harris erred by not moving further to the middle. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The New York congresswoman and progressive leader hasn’t minced words since the election, warning that Trump will follow through on mass deportation plans and seek a national ban on abortions. The leader of “the Squad” said in an Instagram livestream that she was “not here to sugarcoat what we all are about to collectively experience,” adding, “We are about to enter a political period that will have consequences for the rest of our lives. We cannot give up.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) with Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) in June. PHOTO: YUKI IWAMURA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

The DNC

Jaime Harrison won’t seek another term as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, making the coming election for DNC chair a starting gun for the debate over the future of the party. Several names of potential candidates have emerged, including Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Chair Ken Martin, interim California Sen. Laphonza Butler, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman Ben Wikler and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Harris’s Future

In her concession speech, Harris said that while she was conceding the election, she wasn’t going to “concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” It isn’t clear yet what form that fight will take—and whether she will seek the White House again or any other office. Although she lost the election and now faces second-guessing of her campaign strategy, Harris was able to energize broad sections of the party around her candidacy. How she chooses to stay engaged will be closely watched at the start of the Trump administration. Newsom is term-limited, so there will be a race for California governor in 2026; several prominent Democrats are already running.

Excerpts: Nov 10, 2024, wall street Journals