Swing State Candidates Test Democratic 2028 Presidential Strategies

Democratic candidates in the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are serving as a messaging test for the party's 2028 presidential strategy. Strategists are monitoring whether progressive candidates can match or exceed the performance of centrists among key demographics, including Black voters, working-class White voters, and voters over 50.

In Michigan, Jocelyn Benson, the centrist gubernatorial nominee, and Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Senate candidate, represent competing theories on building a winning coalition. Similar dynamics are playing out in Wisconsin, where socialist Francesca Hong is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

In Pennsylvania, centrist Governor Josh Shapiro is running for reelection. The outcomes of these races are being viewed as a bellwether for the most viable path for the party to recapture the presidency in the next cycle.