The Left may have their candidate for the next presidential election. But who they might pick is shocking.
As the Democrat Party’s 2028 frontrunner will leave you completely speechless.
AOC Emerges as a Top Contender for 2028 Democratic Presidential Nomination
In a lively discussion on the “Silver Bulletin” Substack, election data expert Nate Silver and former FiveThirtyEight podcast host Galen Druke dove into early predictions for the 2028 Democratic primary, with “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) stealing the spotlight as the frontrunner if she chooses to run.
The conversation took a playful turn when Druke snatched Ocasio-Cortez as his top pick, prompting a mock-exasperated “F–k you” from Silver, who had planned to name her first. “That was going to be my f–king first pick!” he laughed. Druke’s confidence in AOC stemmed from a recent Yale University poll showing her with a stellar +60 net favorability rating among Democrats, placing her second only to former Vice President Kamala Harris in a hypothetical 2028 primary.
“I think there’s a lot of points in her favor at this very moment,” Druke said, highlighting AOC’s widespread appeal and passionate base. “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party.”
He emphasized her ability to energize supporters, noting, “I think a lot of people are gonna run in 2028 and it’s going to be a contest for attention and getting those sort of people who might be in your boat to turn out and stay with you through thick and thin.”
Silver, while agreeing with Druke’s assessment, cautioned that AOC’s candidacy isn’t guaranteed. “I agree with everything,” he said, but added uncertainty about whether she’ll run, how events will unfold, or if Democrats might question her electability. Still, he praised her as a “canny politician” and “charismatic,” pointing to her strong polling against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in a hypothetical 2028 Senate race, despite New York Democrats leaning moderate.
Druke, however, was bullish on AOC’s ambitions, citing her “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as evidence of her national aspirations. With AOC off the board, Silver pivoted to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as his top pick, describing him as a “fully moderate, ‘electable’” choice who could bridge the party’s progressive and centrist wings.
“In the past three nomination races … you kind of have this compromise candidate where you have the moderates and you have the progressives and you get kind of somewhere in the middle,” Silver explained.
The draft continued with Silver selecting Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Druke countered with Harris as his second pick, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Rubin Gallego (D-Ariz.), Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Sanders.
Both analysts took jabs at each other’s choices. Druke called Booker overhyped, while Silver criticized Harris for “a lot of tactical errors” in her 2024 campaign, questioning her political instincts.
Still, Druke defended Harris, noting, “Kamala Harris has universal name recognition,” and suggested she could dominate if she commits early. “We saw with Joe Biden, he was on the campaign in 2019, right? It was not debate performances, it was not like [his] ability to give a rousing speech or anything like that got him the nomination,” Druke said. “It was kind of just outliving everyone else and being a consensus candidate.”
Harris, currently weighing a 2026 California gubernatorial run or a 2028 presidential bid, remains a wildcard.
Meanwhile, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has caught the eye of actor George Clooney, who, after influencing Biden’s 2024 exit with a New York Times op-ed, recently called Moore the Democratic contender “levitating above” others in early 2028 speculation.
Silver, whose 2008 predictions correctly called 49 of 50 states, has a mixed track record in recent years. Last cycle, he leaned toward Donald Trump in his gut but noted his models showed a toss-up.
For 2028, the data wizard and his former colleague see AOC as a force to watch—if she steps into the ring.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
