Democratic duo fuel 2028 ticket speculation as pair trade winks about White House campaign

Hardened political observers know what comes after a fall book tour.  

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Maryland Governor Wes Moore provided the latest glimpse last week, appearing together in Washington, DC, for an event celebrating Beshear’s new book.

The conversation quickly turned to the question of whether either could end up running for president in 2028.

Beshear has repeatedly insisted he has not made a decision. But his language has become noticeably less dismissive of the possibility.

Reflecting on his 2023 reelection as Kentucky governor, Beshea rtold Politico he once assumed he would never have to run for office again.

Now, he said, ‘I’m not sure that’s true.’

He stressed that it was not a presidential announcement. 

Yet the remark, coupled with his growing national profile, was enough to send another ripple through Democratic circles.

Then Moore, another potential 2028 White House aspirant, delivered an even more telling comment.

‘Our country needs you,’ the Maryland governor told Beshear.

‘We make a pretty good team,’ Beshear added, immediately sending speculation that a Moore-Beshear or Beshear-Moore ticket could come to fruition.  

Beshear later acknowledged the crowded field ahead, telling Moore, ‘We may have a lot of great candidates.’

This is not the first time Beshear has publicly teased a presidential run.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press in July 2025, Beshear said he would consider the possibility of a presidential run, declaring that he would not ‘leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else’s.’ 

California Governor Gavin Newsom has continued to draw attention as Democrats look toward the next presidential cycle, and his political activity has also intensified speculation about whether Kamala Harris will attempt another run for the White House.

He told CNN’s Jake Tapper that if Harris’ name is on the ballot, he’s not running.

Harris will not give a firm yes or no yet, reiterating her priority right now is Democrats winning the midterm elections. 

She campaigned on Tuesday for the first time this election season alongside Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed on a Black maternal healthcare panel. 

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was unusually honest about the trajectory of her political career in a New York Times interview this week, acknowledging that she is seriously weighing a potential presidential bid.

But other life plans could change that decision, as she has been open about freezing her eggs and her plans for motherhood down the line as she approaches 40.

And Pete Buttigieg, who mounted his own presidential campaign in 2020, offered perhaps the clearest signal of all.

Speaking on a podcast last month, the former transportation secretary said he was ‘more inclined than not’ to run.

Behind them is an unusually deep bench of governors, senators and former officials who have either acknowledged that they are considering a campaign or have deliberately declined to close the door.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are among the governors whose national ambitions have drawn attention.

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, New Jersey’s Cory Booker, Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen and Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin have all found themselves in the conversation as Democrats contemplate who might lead the party after 2028.

Representative Ro Khanna has also spoken openly about the possibility, while former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu remain among the other Democratic figures whose names continue to surface.

That does not mean all or any of them will ultimately decide to run.

And Beshear has an especially pertinent reason to wait. 

As chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, he has a national platform but is unlikely to want his political future to overshadow that role.

He has suggested that his plans could become clearer after his tenure ends in December.

Moore, meanwhile, remains focused on his Maryland reelection campaign.

An Echelon Insights survey conducted on September 23 puts the former vice president at 24 percent, ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom at 14 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 10 percent, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jon Ossoff both at 8 percent.

RealClearPolling’s current average likewise places Harris first at 24.9 percent, followed by Newsom at 14.0 percent and Buttigieg at 12.8 percent.