STATEHOUSES
Governors Who Would Be President
U
nless an iconic figure such as
Barack Obama or Donald Trump comes along, the odds are strong that governors will be at the forefront of the 2028 White House race. In the last half
century, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush all made the move from statehouse to White House — just as Woodrow Wilson and Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt did decades before them. The races for
EYES ON THE PRIZE? Gov. Gavin Newsom, top, of California and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois are among early Democrats mulling a run for the White House in 2028, along with Michigan’s termed-out Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, below. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., also termed out, is reportedly considering another presidential run, with his wife, Casey, replacing him in the Florida Statehouse.
governor in midterm elections, then, are closely watched for potential presidents. California’s Gavin
Newsom and Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker were already mentioned as Democrat White House hopefuls when Joe Biden stepped down. Pritzker is planning
to run again and favored against any Republican. Newsom, who must step down, will have a bumper crop of fellow statewide Democrat oficials vying to succeed him. Another governor,
also termed out, is Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer. With three Democrat state oficeholders — all of them women — busily planning to seek the governorship and no high-profile Republican emerging so far, this is a race that will be watched.
In the case of
Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, passed over for the vice- presidential slot by Kamala Harris, even Keystone State Republicans concede the question will be not whether he is reelected but by how much. Shapiro is on just
about everyone’s list as a future presidential hopeful. As in California, the
two-term limitation on Ohio’s GOP Gov. Mike DeWine has opened the way for candidacies by three other statewide oficeholders who are Republicans. Columbus
entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who was briefly a 2024 presidential candidate, will likely seek the governorship — and presumably use it as a stepping stone to a future presidential run. Florida’s Gov. Ron
DeSantis, who flamed out as a Republican presidential candidate in 2024, nonetheless got high marks for his handling of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. DeSantis can’t seek
a third consecutive term in ’26, but rumors are rampant that his wife, Casey, a former TV newscaster who is with her husband at all public events and policy discussions, will run. A “Gov. Casey
DeSantis” would almost surely pave the
way for her husband to seek the presidency again in 2028. Polls show Casey
DeSantis running ahead of all Republican hopefuls, but she will have to overcome heavyweight opposition from the likes of Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds. As it has been in
primaries for several election cycles now, “Trump power” will be a factor. Perhaps as many
as 10 Republicans will vie to succeed lame duck South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, and Palmetto State sources say Trump is likely to endorse State Attorney General Alan Wilson, son of Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. Texas Gov. Greg
Abbott, a national symbol of opposition to illegal immigration, has yet to say whether he will seek an unprecedented fourth term. Few doubt he would get it if he chooses to run. But if Abbott
doesn’t throw his hat in the ring, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has survived an impeachment trial and courtroom turmoil, will likely run and have Trump’s full blessing.
DECEMBER 2024 | NEWSMAX 43
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