17 people... Analysis: Who are the most likely to run for the 2028 US elections after the results of the midterm elections?

The 2026 midterm elections ended with a landslide victory for the Democrats, which will change the balance of power in Washington, and may cause a radical shift in the map of the 2028 presidential elections.

Democratic success in several conservative states could open new horizons for reaching 270 electoral votes and reshape strategies for successful presidential campaigns.

Republicans, still disappointed by voters' rejection of President Donald Trump, will wonder whether it is better to rebuild the "Make America Great Again" coalition or head toward a new path.

Neither party has officially announced a presidential bid, although that could happen soon.

Here's a look at the midterm election results for potential candidates:

Josh Shapiro: No one comes out of the midterm elections happier than the governor of Pennsylvania. He won re-election by more than 20 percentage points. Democrats in his state also won four seats in the House of Representatives. He has a track record of success in a key swing state. He ignored questions about his presidential run, but he won't be able to do that anymore.

Gavin Newsom: California, led by Newsom, faced midterm elections by redrawing the state's congressional districts, in response to a similar move by Texas the previous year. The move, which required putting the initiative to a statewide referendum, would help Democrats consolidate their majority in the House of Representatives; In doing so, Newsom can credit himself with gaining five additional seats for the party in the House during this election. As the end of his term as governor approaches, Newsom has much to be proud of, even though his career as governor is far from over. This week, he announced his decision to commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates on California's death row, a position that stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump's visions.

Raphael Warnock: Another Democratic senator from Georgia could also be included in the discussion. If the Democrats' new path to a majority depends on black voters in the South, this gives "Reverend" Warnock a strong case. Warnock has made aggressive efforts throughout his campaign to expand the geographic reach of Democrats' influence, an investment that has already paid off. In a statement to CNN before the midterm elections, Warnock told anchor Jake Tapper that he intends to run for “high office” in 2028, without clarifying whether he meant seeking re-election as a senator or running for president.

Pete Buttigieg: If Democrats need someone who can appeal to both the party's traditional base and voters in hotly contested midlands, the former South Bend mayor and current transportation secretary is a strong choice. This was clearly demonstrated during his tireless campaigning in the midterm elections, where he visited 38 states to support candidates, strengthen relationships, and gain support.

J.B. Pritzker: The governor of Illinois succeeded in winning a second term quite easily. Most importantly, he used his wealth intelligently through strategic investments in election campaigns; For example, he provided financial support to the campaign of Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa in the Texas governor's race at a time when she needed it most. It was a smart bet.

Andy Beshear: He is a Democratic governor of a state that leans Republican. He headed the Democratic Governors Association, which contributed to the election of a large number of new Democrats in the states of Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas. On the other hand, some Texas Democratic members of Congress and leaders of national groups accused him of not doing enough to support Hinojosa, who was far ahead of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in campaign spending. In Kentucky, Democrats succeeded in seizing a seat in the House of Representatives, but Republicans retained the state's seat in the Senate. However, if the core message is that moderate Democrats can win, that works to Beshear's advantage. In a statement on CNN's Anderson Cooper show the day after the election, Beshear said: "We cannot look at everything in terms of 'red versus blue' or 'us versus them.'"

Kamala Harris: The former vice president may seem like a figure from an earlier, more painful era for Democrats; It lost the 2024 election, and will have to find ways to regain voter enthusiasm in the primaries. However, she made smart choices during the midterm elections, such as visiting Mississippi to support Scott Collum at a time when his chances of winning seemed very slim. She also participated in an election campaign in Michigan for Abdul-Sayed, who performed poorly among black voters in the Democratic Party primaries, before these voters returned to support the party in the general elections.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The New York congresswoman enjoys a rare kind of fame among Democrats; She represents a major attraction for the progressive movement, and has participated in electoral events to support candidates such as Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid, and at the same time, she has adopted more moderate positions compared to her previous views as a democratic socialist. This is an important development, especially since what enabled the Democrats to achieve the majority was thanks to the victories of moderate candidates in states that traditionally lean toward the Republican Party.

Jon Ossoff: The recently re-elected Democratic senator from Georgia has repeatedly confirmed that he has no intention of running for president. But as the most prominent face of Democratic victories in the South, he will not be able to escape speculation that - like Barack Obama - he might change his mind and seek the White House. The election of Keisha Lance Bottoms - who will become the first black woman to hold the position of governor of a state in the country - means that any seat that may become vacant in the Georgia Senate will inevitably go to a Democrat.

Rahm Emanuel: The former ambassador, mayor of Chicago and White House chief of staff under Barack Obama appeared extensively on television, where he worked to articulate his vision based on a moderate platform focused on education and achieving tangible results. Although he may lack the youthful element or mass appeal that other potential candidates enjoy during election campaigns, he is making tireless and intense efforts on this path.

J.D. Vance: The Vice President wrote a lengthy post on social media following the Republican defeat in the midterm elections, in which he attributed the main reason for that historically disastrous night for his party to the war in Iran. This means, by his own logic, that Vance will have to find a way to end this war without angering Trump, with the goal of rebuilding the “MAGA” coalition — which includes what he calls “Trump/Vance” voters. Although he is the presumed political heir to Trump, he has an extremely difficult task ahead of him.

Ron DeSantis: Florida was a Republican bastion untouched by the "Blue Wave." DeSantis told broadcaster Jake Tapper that the losses suffered by the Republican Party could have constituted a "catastrophic event that threatens the party's existence" had Florida not survived. Despite the close results, the state elected a Republican senator and governor, and efforts to redraw its electoral districts - although they did not fully achieve their goals - did not lead to adverse results that would harm the party. Like Gavin Newsom, DeSantis will find himself out of office in January, but his ambitions remain.

Marco Rubio: The Secretary of State appeared in some campaign rallies alongside Trump, but his participation was limited. It is diplomatically inappropriate for the country's top diplomat to engage in overtly partisan activities. It also means that while Rubio remains popular within the Republican Party, he will not be negatively affected by midterm election losses as much as others, like J.D. Vance, might be. As Trump said during an event in Kansas, Rubio "has become too popular," before joking about firing him. To run, Rubio will have to leave the current administration, and will likely have to take an independent position from J.D. Vance.

Ted Cruz: If Rubio and DeSantis are associated with the state that withstood the wave, then Cruz represents the state that crashed. He has been a strong presence in the election campaigns, but many of the candidates he supported would not be in office to return the favor if he decided to run for president.

Pete Hegseth: There is speculation that the Secretary of Defense may face impeachment efforts in the coming weeks, and that some Republicans may support that. If the unpopular war with Iran - with which his name is linked - was a major reason for the Republicans losing the House of Representatives and the Senate, then it is unlikely that Hegseth will have any significant political future. Americans have expressed through the ballot boxes their desire for moderate figures who call for joint action. This requires Hegseth to make a radical change in his public image to align with this trend.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The Arkansas governor and former White House spokeswoman was easily re-elected Tuesday. She can make a strong case for running, especially since her father, who also served as governor of Arkansas and is now Trump's ambassador to Israel, did well in the Iowa primaries during his presidential campaigns.

TUCKER CARLSON: If Vance is now speaking publicly about the political burden the war has become for Trump and Republicans, Carlson has been talking about it from the beginning. He has hinted at the idea of ​​an independent presidential campaign, which seems unlikely but could certainly contribute to the growing divisions in the Make America Great Again coalition.