Opinion: A way-too-early look at the 2024 presidential nominee field: Part 1
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of two articles. The next takes a way-too-early look at potential 2024 Republican nominees.
Should former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee, fail to win the presidency, who will run in 2024? Here’s a way-too-early look at the 2024 democrat lineup:
The California Crowd
Kamala Harris — Senator Harris has one of the most respected resumes in politics and is ambitious to add to it. A White House run in 2024 wouldn’t jeopardize her Senate seat, since her reelection seems inevitable come 2022. Harris has every tool at her disposal, and with a decent showing in 2020, it appears she’s only getting started.
Gavin Newsom — The recent COVID-19 response has put nearly every governor in the spotlight, especially Newsom. As chief of the fifth largest economy in the world, Gov. Newsom has the skills, qualities and donors needed for a 2024 run.
Eric Garcetti — I recently had dinner with an Obama White House staffer who assured me that Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti was the best “dark horse” candidate for 2024. (If the name Garcetti sounds familiar, it’s possibly due to his father’s position as the Los Angeles District Attorney during the famous OJ Simpson trial in 1995.)
The Midwest Match
Gretchen Whitmer — Being the most likely choice as Biden’s running mate, the governor of Michigan has significantly raised her national profile. Should Trump win reelection, Whitmer could carry the “establishment” baton from both Biden and Clinton as the center of the Democratic Party.
Pete Buttigieg — After winning the Iowa Caucus, the former South Bend, Indiana mayor will have four years to beef up his resume, a major weak spot for him in 2020. However, Indiana is still a fairly red state, and it may be difficult for him to make a Senate or House run, if that’s something he’s considering.
The East Coast Crew
Bernie Sanders — The Vermont senator will be 83 years old in 2024, well beyond the average age of presidential nominees, but nothing about Sanders is traditional. Armed with a cult-like following, it’s possible Sanders will make another run by demonstrating that two “establishment” candidates failed to win the White House. If Sanders declines, he’ll back either Senator Warren or encourage Representative Ocasio-Cortez to make a run.
Joe Kennedy III — Pay attention to Congressman Kennedy. Essentially the “Crown Prince” of America’s most famous political family, Kennedy is a rising star in the Democratic Party and will likely unseat Senator Ed Markey this September. Every recent move by Kennedy signals a run for the White House in 2024 or 2028.
Featured photo courtesy of AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File