It is time for the Democrats.
We already did the list of people I think could run for president on the Republican side, and I put them into a tier list. Now we are going to do the same thing for the Democrats.
The criteria are the same:
Can they win a primary?
Can they win a general election?
Can they raise the money and build the infrastructure needed for a national campaign?
And do they have the charisma and personality to go out there and actually woo people?
We have not even made it to the 2026 midterms. We do not know who is going to control the House or the Senate. But right after those midterms, people are going to start coming out of the woodwork and saying they are running for president.
So why speculate this early?
Because it is fun!
The Republican field could shrink quickly if Donald Trump immediately endorses JD Vance or somebody else. A lot of Republicans probably would not go against the grain. If Trump holds his endorsement until later in the primaries, though, that field could remain huge.
Democrats do not have a succession plan because they are not the party in power. That means everybody with a little money, a little name recognition, and a little ambition is going to look in the mirror and see a future POTUS.
I could see more than 20 people entering this thing. I have 31 names on my list, so let’s get into it.
The Unicorn Tier
Michelle Obama
She is not running.
Michelle Obama has repeatedly said she does not want to run for president, but everybody always says the same thing: “If Michelle ran…”
If she did run, she would be an S-tier candidate. She would rally the troops, raise a ridiculous amount of money, immediately have national political clout, and go very, very far in the primary.
Personally, I think she would win the primary and the general election. She could be the next president of the United States.
But she is not doing it.
That is why Michelle Obama belongs in the unicorn tier.
D Tier
Kirsten Gillibrand, Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Sheryl Sandberg
All of these people have different problems. Some are accomplished politicians. Some come from the business world. All of them would have to make a serious case for why Democratic voters should care about their candidacies.
Most of them are not particularly well known nationally.
Tom Steyer is the exception. He ran for president in 2020 and then spent an enormous amount of his own money running for governor of California in 2026. He received about 23 percent of the primary vote but failed to advance to the general election.
Does he decide that this is finally his time to be POTUS? Maybe. He certainly has the money. I could also see him deciding that he is done running for office.
If Steyer entered the presidential race using the same economic and affordability messaging he used in California, he could start in D tier and slowly work his way up until he was one of the last people standing on a debate stage.
Everybody else has a massive hill to climb when it comes to fundraising and name recognition.
C Tier
Ritchie Torres, Abigail Spanberger, Jasmine Crockett, Mark Cuban, Amy Klobuchar
These people are better known, but their politics, personal baggage, and position inside the Democratic Party put them at a disadvantage.
Most of them would struggle to raise enough money to remain competitive, with the possible exceptions of Mark Cuban. Cuban is rich.
Cuban has already said that he is not running for president in 2028. He has also suggested that, if he ever did run, he might do it as a Republican because he does not believe he could win a Democratic primary.
Maybe I should have put him on the Republican list. Then again, I do not really think he is running as a Republican, either.
Everyone in this tier has work to do in almost every category.
Jasmine Crockett’s charisma and social media presence could propel her into the later stages of a primary.
Everybody else? Eh.
I think Democratic voters are probably tired of Amy Klobuchar and some of the other familiar names.
B Tier
Chris Murphy, Ro Khanna, Ruben Gallego, Cory Booker, Elissa Slotkin, Rahm Emanuel, and Tim Walz
These are all people with political clout and at least some fundraising ability. Some have more personality than others, but almost everyone in this group could be compelling on a debate stage.
Ro Khanna is one of the B-tier candidates I could see remaining in the race through the later primaries. I could also see Chris Murphy sticking around.
I do not personally like Ro Khanna's Substack as a presidential candidate, and in general, but I can see how he could shape his campaign to win over Democratic primary voters. The problem is that I am not convinced he could win a general election.
That is the dichotomy inside the Democratic Party. What appeals to the progressive base during a primary does not always square with what swing voters and independents want in November.
People like Tim Walz, Elissa Slotkin, and Cory Booker could fall off quickly.
Rahm Emanuel is a Democrat from a different time. He has plenty of name recognition, and he is already making the rounds, but this is not his Democratic Party anymore.
