Meet the 2028 Potential Presidential Contenders

By , Eleanor Stubbs, and Austin Culpepper, CNN

Published November 11, 2026

Presidential campaigns aren’t built in a day, so while 2028 feels far off, and 2026 midterms are barely in the rearview mirror, it’s not too early to start tracking the field of potential candidates even if none have technically launched a campaign.

A large field of Democrats is expected to join the campaign, while Republicans will need to maneuver around President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as they angle to inherit his MAGA coalition.

This list, which is intentionally broad, includes even some people who have said, repeatedly, that they will not run. It will be updated as news becomes available.

32 potential candidates

18 Democrats

13 Republicans

1 Unk.

Potential candidates

Click to see each potential contender’s recent comments about running (or not running), latest news and other background information. Names are listed in alphabetical order.