Meet the Democratic Rising Stars Who Could Shape 2028

In what is widely being referred to as a “blue tsunami,” the Democratic Party won control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, gaining ground in deep-red and battleground states. The sweeping victory will reshape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency and could have a significant impact on the 2028 presidential map.

In formerly reliably Republican Texas, James Talarico defeated the Trump-backed Ken Paxton and became the first Democrat to be elected Senator by Texans since 1988. Texas state representative Gina Hinojosa pulled off a similar victory, defeating three-term governor Greg Abbott. She will be the state’s first ever Latina governor. Kansas, which Trump won by a margin of 16 points in 2024, elected Adam Hamilton, welcoming its first Democratic senator since 1932.

With momentum now behind the party, Democrats are already setting their sights on a return to the White House. “Over the next two years, Democrats will show up where Republicans have failed and work every single day to bring down costs. Up next: the White House,” vowed Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin.

Yet despite their strong showing at the polls, Democrats still lack a clear leader heading into 2028, setting the stage for what could be a hard-fought primary. There are Democratic heavyweights who often appear on presidential contender lists, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and former presidential candidate Kamala Harris. However, the Democrats’ midterm victories are a reminder that the party’s rising stars should not be ignored, as they will undoubtedly play an important role in shaping what the 2028 race will look like.

Talarico, 37, a Presbyterian minister-in-training, frequently drew on his Christianity and liberal principles in his speeches, while also touting his record of working alongside Republicans as a Texas state representative. Throughout his campaign, he sought to frame the political divide as top versus bottom, rather than along traditional party lines.

“A lot of Democrats will be turning to his example, to the way he ran, the particular style he used,” Masket says, pointing to Talarico's use of liberal Christianity and his emphasis on bipartisanship. “He's definitely on the bench for Democrats in future cycles.”

Masket notes how Ossoff, 39, ran a “very national campaign over this past year” by taking his re-election pitch to younger voters through various podcast appearances. He discussed health care and the importance of young people being engaged in politics with Georgia rapper Killer Mike in September and appeared on comedy podcast The 85 South Show in October, where he addressed the key issues facing Atlanta. His strong criticisms of Trump and his Administration have often gone viral on social media. He also made sure to include appearances on mainstream media in the months leading up to his campaign. In a February appearance on Stephen Colbert’s now-defunct late-night show, Ossoff discussed "The Epstein Class," a phrase he uses to refer to the ultra-wealthy and political elites who, he says, are operating as if the rules don't apply to them.

“He is seen as having turned Georgia, which was considered a very red state until pretty recently, to become competitive, and now he had a very strong Democratic result here with his election,” says Masket, who believes the victory strengthens Ossoff's standing as a potential presidential contender in 2028.

Ossoff, however, had earlier this year ruled out the possibility of a run for the White House, stating: “I am not running for President in 2028. I have no interest in running for President in 2028.” Even if he doesn’t hold presidential ambitions of his own, his impact on the party and its direction will surely be felt as it chooses its contender for the White House.

His election was critical to the Democrats’ flipping control of the Senate and his campaign was hard-fought as he encountered a barrage of personal and Islamophobic attacks from Trump, who baselessly described El-Sayed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood—an Islamist political movement—and repeatedly ridiculed his name.

“Donald, look, I know you struggled with my name, so after [Vice President] J.D. [Vance] swears me in in January, you could just go on and call me ‘Senator,’” El-Sayed said in his victory speech.

El-Sayed also faced an eleventh-hour setback from his former Democratic primary opponent, Haley Stevens, who endorsed Rogers the weekend before Election Day. The move was strongly criticized by members of the Democratic Party, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies putting his full support behind El-Sayed, who he described as a candidate that “will always put the American people first.”

He had a tall task heading into Election Day, with the goal of flipping four congressional seats in the House and retaining a majority in the state House. This was more than achieved with the party flipping four GOP-held seats in the House of Representatives and increasing their majority in the state legislature to at least 111 seats. The party also managed to flip at least three seats of the state Senate, giving them a majority and allowing them to hold a trifecta in the commonwealth state.

“Iowa is a state that Democrats had largely written off until pretty recently, as it swung hard toward Trump in the last decade,” Masket explains. “Democrats may be making a real play for trying to win Iowa [in 2028], Sand will be key for that, and they'll be listening to his advice.”

Masket says “a lot of Democratic candidates will be seeking her out for her advice on how to mobilize voters and how to get people to show up for women and for Latinas.”

Hamilton, the founding and senior pastor of one of the largest United Methodist churches in the U.S., has described himself as both a “liberal” and a “conservative.” He was a Republican for “most” of his life, and has identified with both parties during the past.

“I became a Democrat during the Obama Administration, when he was running, and so for eight years I was a Democrat… I served in his Administration for a couple years, but then I went back to being a Republican,” he told ABC News last month, adding that he’s now proud to be a Democrat once more.

He has built a reputation as one of the party's most effective communicators, both on the campaign trail and through media appearances. Ahead of the 2024 election, he appeared on Jubilee’s Surrounded debate series, where he made the case for the Democratic Party's achievements to 25 undecided voters.