Oct 8, 2026 · 1h 21m
Democrats draft their 2028 presidential field
5: Our First 2028 Democratic Primary Draft!
The episode tests what Democratic momentum, candidate ideology, biography, and electability could mean for an open 2028 nomination.
- 1The hosts see favorable Democratic polling but debate whether it reflects durable momentum or a temporary midterm advantage.
- 2Minnesota’s competitive Senate race exposes Democrats’ broader struggle to balance northern-state appeal, candidate quality, and national backlash.
- 3The 2028 draft pits progressive stars against moderate governors, senators, and familiar national figures with very different paths to victory.
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The completed draft teams turn a game into a substantive argument over whether Democrats should prioritize progressive energy, moderation, or swing-state credibility.
The brief
Galen, Clare, and Nate open with updated House and Senate forecasts, weighing favorable Democratic polling against undecided voters, Republican spending, and the possibility that the apparent edge is overstated.
Minnesota’s unexpectedly competitive Senate race becomes a case study in Democratic vulnerability across northern states, where backlash, immigration enforcement, scandals, incumbency, and candidate presentation collide.
The hosts then draft a 2028 Democratic field, starting with Gavin Newsom, Jon Ossoff, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez before debating Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Kelly, and Josh Shapiro.
Later picks including James Talarico, Ruben Gallego, Abdul El-Sayed, Mary Peltola, Ro Khanna, Andy Beshear, Wes Moore, and Gretchen Whitmer widen the argument over ideology and electability.
The final team-by-team debate turns a playful snake draft into a sharper question: which Democratic coalition, biography, and regional strategy could survive an open primary?