Curse you, Washington Post.
It just turned 2025 and you want to talk 2028.
Two Pennsylvanians are among the newspaper’s dozen potential Democratic candidates for the White House three years from now.
One will come as no surprise – Gov. Josh Shapiro. It may also not surprise you that the former state Attorney General came in at the No. 1 spot.
Look four spots down the ladder and you might find a name you were not expecting – Sen. John Fetterman.
WaPo’s senior political reporter Aaron Blake writes that there are more than a few Democrats still speculating whether former Vice President Kamala Harris erred in her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate over Shapiro.
The Keystone State governor’s first term has two years remaining and it is anticipated that Shapiro will run again. Blake cited Shapiro’s “demonstrated political talents, messaging capabilities and crossover appeal” as reasons he ranked him at the top.
At least one Republican – Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09) – has expressed an interest in seeking the job in 2026, while state Treasurer Stacy Garrity has had her name floated as a possible candidate as well.
Fetterman had been in news a great deal since the election of President Donald Trump with a seeming willingness to work with the new administration to advance Pennsylvania – much to the chagrin of the state’s progressive movement.
“Overall, it was a positive experience. I mean, he was kind, he was cordial,” Fetterman told “The View” on Monday about his trip to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump. “It wasn’t in any kind of theater. It wasn’t trying to get your picture taken to kind of put something out on social media. It was just, really, a conversation. We actually spoke for over an hour.
“There’s things I’m going to agree with, I’m going to disagree with, but I’m in the business of finding wins for Pennsylvania and for the nation and engaging the president,” Fetterman said.
Blake credits Fetterman, who survived a stroke and serious depression, for emerging as one of the most interesting members of the U.S. Senate and how that might position him well in 2028. He says his independent streak has been made visible and he is getting noticed as a candidate who could speak to Trump voters.
Others named in The Washington Post report included Harris, Walz, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.), Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.), and Gov. Josh Stein (D-N.C.).
One Response
Fetterman is definitely testing the waters for a possible WH2028 run, whereas Shapiro is laser focused on winning re-election in 2026.