Democrats weighing 2028 presidential campaigns are seeking ties with Sen. Elizabeth Warren as she works to shape the party’s next White House primary, according to Axios.
Axios reported Monday that Warren, one of the most influential figures in the progressive movement, is being courted publicly and privately by Democrats eyeing 2028 presidential bids, a sign potential candidates are trying to strengthen their standing with the party’s far-left flank.
Warren lost her White House bid in 2020, but Axios noted she later played a major role in shaping President Joe Biden’s administration by helping place allies in his administration. Her moves have also drawn concern from some centrist Democrats, who worry she has helped move the party too far left.
Warren met privately this month with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) for tea and has a texting relationship with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), according to Axios. Both are potential presidential contenders and are more moderate than Warren. The outlet also reported that Warren has been speaking with former Biden and Obama officials about how a future Democratic president could reshape the federal government following President Donald Trump’s DOGE cuts.
Newsom took a step toward Warren’s political network this month by naming Rohit Chopra, a Warren protégé, to lead a new consumer agency in California. A few months earlier, Warren was seen at a San Francisco restaurant with Newsom. Warren’s relationship with Newsom’s circle dates back years, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s endorsement of Warren during the 2020 presidential race.
Warren has also worked with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), another progressive and potential 2028 contender. In February, Ocasio-Cortez became the House co-lead on Warren’s bill to implement universal child care.
In an interview with Axios, Warren praised Beshear’s efforts to expand pre-K access in Kentucky and said they discussed universal pre-K at the federal level. Beshear “talked about the difference it would make for families in Kentucky,” Warren said, adding that she thought, “This is someone who gets it. He’s not checking the box.”
Warren also praised Ocasio-Cortez, saying she “does the hard work and digs deep on policy,” and commended Newsom’s work to expand free pre-K in California.
Liam Kerr, co-founder of the center-left WelcomePAC, criticized potential 2028 candidates for meeting with Warren, telling Axios that Warren “literally hired 1,000 people for her presidential campaign, got 7% in South Carolina, and then seemingly hired 1,000 people into the Biden administration.” He added that he was “not sure” which of those things candidates wanted advice on, “but hopefully not the last one.”
At a Center for American Progress summit in Washington, DC, last week, Warren argued that 2028 Democratic hopefuls should make child care a priority. In another speech this year, she criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris’s “lukewarm approach” to former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, a Warren ally, during the 2024 campaign.
Some Democratic donors had urged Harris to fire Khan, saying Khan’s aggressive push against monopolies was too anti-business. “To her credit, the vice president didn’t promise to fire Lina Khan,” Warren said. “But she didn’t promise not to fire her, either.”
The Axios report comes as Ocasio-Cortez appears to be moving toward a possible White House run, though she has said she has not made a decision. Axios reported Sunday that she has been traveling nationally to rally voters and make endorsements. A person close to Ocasio-Cortez told Axios she was considering a 2028 Senate run but had not decided whether to seek the White House. In an interview with Democrat strategist David Axelrod, Ocasio-Cortez said some critics assume her ambition is “positional” and tied to “a title or a seat.”
The early 2028 maneuvering is unfolding in both parties. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a May 16 NBC News interview that he would be “the first person to sign up and support” Vice President JD Vance if Vance runs for president in 2028. Rubio said Vance is a “very good friend” and would be “a phenomenal candidate,” while also saying he is focused on serving as secretary of state in Trump’s administration.
Rubio’s comments came as Vance led or performed strongly in early hypothetical Republican primary polling. A Harvard/Harris survey taken April 23-26, 2026, among 2,745 registered voters found Vance leading Republicans with 48 percent support, followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 18 percent, Rubio at 16 percent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at nine percent, and Tucker Carlson at four percent.
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