Scoop: Dems eyeing 2028 bids court Warren
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioning Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh in a hearing last month. Photo: Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of most influential leaders in the progressive movement, is being publicly and privately courted by Democrats eyeing presidential bids in 2028 — a sign they're trying to build up their lefty credentials.
Why it matters: Progressives are on the rise in the party, and Warren is a key ally to have. She lost her bid for the White House in 2020 but played a major role in shaping Joe Biden's presidency by installing her allies in his administration.
- Her moves haven't been without controversy. Some centrist Democrats worry that Warren has helped pushed the party too far to the left.
Zoom in: Now, Warren's working to put her stamp on the 2028 Democratic primary. She met privately with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for tea this month and has a texting relationship with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Axios has learned.
- Both potential contenders for president are more moderate than Warren, a frequent target of President Trump and conservatives because of her push for consumer protections and corporate regulation.
- Warren also has been talking with former Biden and Obama officials about how a future Democratic president could reshape the federal government in light of Trump's DOGE cuts, a person familiar with the discussions told us.
Newsom took a major step to woo Warren World when he tapped one of the senator's protégés, Rohit Chopra, to lead a new consumer agency in California this month.
- A few months earlier, Warren had been spotted at a restaurant with Newsom in San Francisco.
- Warren's relationship with Newsom's circle goes back years: His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, endorsed Warren for president in 2020.
Warren likewise has teamed up with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow progressive and potential 2028 contender, on policy.
- In February, AOC became the House co-lead on a bill by Warren aimed at implementing universal child care.
What they're saying: In an interview with Axios, Warren praised Beshear's efforts to expand pre-K access in his state. She said that during their meeting, they discussed the prospect of universal pre-K at the federal level.
- "He talked about the difference it would make for families in Kentucky," she said. "I leaned back and thought: 'This is someone who gets it. He's not checking the box.'"
- Warren also had warm words for AOC — saying that she "does the hard work and digs deep on policy" — and praised Newsom's work to expand free pre-K in California.
The other side: Liam Kerr, co-founder of the center-left WelcomePAC, expressed dismay that potential presidential candidates are meeting with Warren.
- "Elizabeth 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 said.
- "Not sure which of those three [things] candidates want advice on, but hopefully not the last one," Kerr added.
Zoom out: Besides meeting with potential 2028ers, Warren has been making a push to shape the next presidential primary — and has suggested there's one potential 2028er she's less pleased with.
- At a summit held by the liberal group Center for American Progress in D.C. last week, Warren argued that 2028 Democratic hopefuls should make child care a priority.
- In another speech this year, she criticized former Vice President Harris' lukewarm approach to ex-Federal Trade Commission chair and Warren ally Lina Khan in the 2024 campaign.
- At the time, some Democratic donors were urging 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 at the time. "But she didn't promise not to fire her, either."
