Congressional campaign stars

Zoom in: Axios asked strategists in both parties which lawmakers have enough star power to move voters, draw crowds or open wallets for candidates far from home.

• There aren't many, but a few names came up again and again.

For Democrats: No one compares to former President Obama. But among lawmakers, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has never been hotter, as progressives and democratic socialists take down one establishment-backed candidate after another.

• In a twist, Sanders is seen by some Democrats as an asset not just in the primary — but also in the upcoming general election.
• Sanders appeared in one of battleground House candidate Rebecca Cooke's closing primary ads in this week's Wisconsin primary. Her other final ad pitched a Sanders idea — a moratorium on data centers.
• "Public and private polls show that a lot of the working people Democrats have to win back respect Bernie Sanders because they want candid, populist leaders with the backbone to fight an economic status quo that has failed them," Democratic strategist and former Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates, who advises Cooke, told Axios.
• "He's also an opponent of out-of-touch ideas that turn swing voters away, like 'defunding the police,'" Bates continued.

Sanders' heir-apparent, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also tops the list with her formidable grassroots power.

• Sanders and AOC combined have drawn huge crowds across the country, even when they're not explicitly campaigning for themselves.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is also popular nationwide, bolstered by his experience as an astronaut.

👀 Both Kelly and AOC are potential 2028 presidential election contenders.

• And few endorsements are seen as carrying more weight with Black voters than that of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
• (That said, Clyburn's preferred candidate in the Michigan Senate primary just lost despite his campaigning for her. He also endorsed failed New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo in 2025.)
• Former presidential candidates like Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.). and Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.) are still big names on the trail, but their presence is not as potent as it once was.

For Republicans: The roster of lawmakers outside of leadership is shorter. And, of course, no member of Congress comes close to matching the power of President Trump and some in his Cabinet.

• Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has become an online and in-person phenomenon with his folksy one-liners and viral clips.

• "When I go into a state and headline a fundraiser for one of my colleagues, it seems to attract people," Kennedy told Politico's Jordain Carney. "I think I'm like the new animal in the zoo."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is polarizing but familiar, with the ability to draw crowds and Texas dollars.

• Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), as a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, can do a lot for a candidate.

Between the lines: Power in Washington doesn't necessarily translate to power on the campaign trail. Although Hill leaders' job is to work to keep their majorities, they still hold the most sway with major donors, not average voters.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are bringing in record funds — even as roughly a third of voters say they have never heard of Thune and 44% disapprove of Schumer, according to a recent CNN poll.
• Thune even told reporters last month that his endorsement "probably isn't helpful anyway" when asked about South Carolina Republican Sen. Darline Graham.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) often gets media coverage of his cross-country efforts to campaign for House Republican candidates, as does his leadership team — Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)

• 30% of voters said they had never heard of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, even as he campaigned recently for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and battleground House candidate Bob Brooks.