New York Times: “Democrats have a strong bench of candidates who spent the year mostly wandering the wilderness, unwilling to challenge Mr. Biden in the primary. Some were positioning themselves to run in 2028 or to jump into the race should Mr. Biden bow out. But the speed with which the party coalesced around Ms.
Harris after Mr. Biden announced he would not seek a second term precluded them from joining the contest, and should Ms. Harris win in November, 2028 might be tough as well.”“The convention will give these candidates, many of them relatively young, an opportunity to build support among key Democrats and donors should they decide to run in the future. Speaking slots, breakfasts with state delegations, and post-convention events will offer would-be candidates an opportunity to make a splash.”
“Four governors — Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois — along with Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, have all been mentioned as potential future Democratic candidates for the White House.”