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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDemocratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, another rumored contender for the nomination, was among the first to take a swipe at his colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNewsom bringing on different voices is great, we shouldn\u2019t be afraid to talk and to debate just about anyone,\u201d he said, Politico reported. \u201cBut Steve Bannon espouses hatred and anger, and even at some points violence, and I don\u2019t think we should give him oxygen on any platform, ever, anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But recent polls show both governors far behind former Vice President Kamala Harris and slightly behind former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buttigieg cleared the path for a much-anticipated 2028 presidential campaign this week after announcing that he will not run for Michigan\u2019s open U.S. Senate seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although he had previously stated that he was \u201clooking\u201d at trying to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in one of the most competitive seats in the 2026 cycle, the former Transportation Secretary stated that he had \u201cdecided against competing\u201d to be either governor or senator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race. I remain enthusiastic about helping candidates who share our values \u2013 and who understand that in this moment, leadership means not only opposing today\u2019s cruel chaos, but also presenting a vision of a better alternative,\u201d he wrote on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile my own plans don\u2019t include running for office in 2026, I remain intensely focused on consolidating, communicating, and supporting a vision for this alternative. The decisions made by elected leaders matter entirely because of how they shape our everyday lives \u2013 and the choices made in these years will decide the American people\u2019s access to freedom, security, democracy, and prosperity for the rest of our lifetimes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A source briefed Politico early on about Buttigieg\u2019s decision and told him that his supporters framed it as a way to position him for a future presidential run while avoiding more challenging-to-win campaigns in 2026 and 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe hardest decision in politics is to pass on a race you have a very good chance to win. Pete was an A-list recruit and would have been a formidable candidate for the Senate had he chosen to run,\u201d longtime Democratic operative David Axelrod told Politico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Buttigieg won the seat in 2026, however, it would \u201calmost certainly\u201d take him out of the conversation for 2028, according to Axelrod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis certainly keeps that option open,\u201d Axelrod added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of right now, Buttigieg is only trailing Harris in the 2028 presidential contest. But the former VP has been considering whether to enter a more pressing political campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to reports, Harris has been considering running for governor of California in 2026. Politico previously reported, citing two people familiar with her plans, that she is expected to decide on her next course of action by the end of the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in a pivotal swing state of Michigan, where President Donald Trump won in November, Buttigieg\u2019s announcement has Democrats scrambling to try and fill the seat being vacated by Peters. In 2022, Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, moved to Michigan, the home state of his husband Chasten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon after his announcement about staying out of the Michigan Senate and governor\u2019s race, political analyst Mark Halperin suggested that Buttigieg\u2019s status as a \u201cshort and gay\u201d man may hurt his chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On \u201cThe Morning Meeting,\u201d Halperin noted that taller candidates typically win presidential elections nowadays and that an \u201copenly gay\u201d man has never won the presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGotta say it \u2014 he\u2019s short and gay. So you can say winning the nomination, being short and gay, is a positive. And for some people, maybe not short, but gay is a positive,\u201d Halperin said. \u201cAnd I know for some people there is, but there is going to be a premium for the party in 2028 on winning, right? It\u2019s just like \u201992. There are going to be a lot of voters who are willing to swallow stuff in order to win.\u201d<\/p>\n