The Democratic Party is in a state of intense reflection following Kamala Harris’s landslide loss to Donald Trump, and attention has already shifted to 2028.
The shock of Harris’s defeat has left party insiders, strategists, and voters alike searching for answers—and, most importantly, a new leader. Among those frequently mentioned as a potential candidate to steer the party into the next era is New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries, currently the House Minority Leader. Many in the party see Jeffries as someone who could unify Democrats and revitalize their appeal across the country, particularly with the working-class and moderate voters who defected to Trump.
Brett Bruen, a former Obama administration official, argues that the Democrats need a hard reset to avoid becoming even more marginalized. “Hakeem Jeffries, if he is able to ascend to the speakership, is the clear next leader,” Bruen stated, underscoring Jeffries as a promising choice to lead the party back from its current low point.
While Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, and Gretchen Whitmer may consider presidential bids, Jeffries’s position in Washington could provide a steady platform from which to launch a future campaign.
For Bruen, the stakes are clear: to have any chance in 2028, the Democrats must connect with the Middle America they lost this cycle. “The next Democratic leader must resonate with voters in regions where the party struggled this time,” Bruen explained, stressing that the party’s current approach of heavy focus on progressive social issues while neglecting economic and cultural concerns has alienated a broad swath of its traditional base.
Harris’s defeat may spell the end of her national political aspirations, with some suggesting a possible Senate run, though Bruen doubts she could bounce back from such a devastating loss. He views her political career as effectively over, saying, “I don’t think, after the debacle of last week, you can make another run for the presidency.” With the Biden era also concluding, the influential Obama and Clinton networks—long considered the backbone of Democratic strategy—are now facing criticism from donors and voters. Once power brokers, they may now be seen as part of a “legacy problem” that no longer serves the party’s future direction.
Hedge fund manager and Democratic donor Bill Ackman recently voiced the frustration many feel. After endorsing Trump this cycle, he bluntly criticized his own party, claiming that it had “lied to the American people about the cognitive health and fitness of the president” and failed to hold a competitive primary to replace him. Ackman, echoing a growing chorus, called for a complete reboot.
The Democratic Party’s current identity crisis has left it vulnerable to continued Republican gains, especially given Trump’s strategic grooming of younger leaders. Among them is Ohio Senator and Vice President-elect JD Vance, a populist conservative who Bruen says could carry the “MAGA mantle” into the post-Trump era. With Vance only 40, he could remain a prominent figure in Republican politics for years, ready to step in as the GOP standard-bearer by 2028.
In Bruen’s view, this is a moment of reckoning for the Democrats. If they fail to bridge the chasm between the party’s progressive base and the moderate, working-class voters who felt increasingly alienated this cycle, their 2028 prospects may be bleak. The Democrats must decide on a leader who not only appeals to urban liberals but resonates with those in rural and suburban communities across the country. Jeffries, with a reputation for connecting across ideological divides, could be that leader. However, the party must also put forward a platform that rebalances its priorities to include both cultural progress and a renewed commitment to the economic issues that drive middle-class American life.
