Democratic hopefuls flock to Michigan — and El-Sayed

When Pete Buttigieg appeared at a rally in Michigan earlier this month in an attempt to unify the Democratic Party around Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign, the former Transportation secretary wasn’t just lending a hand to the candidate.

Buttigieg, one of many Democrats circling the 2028 presidential contest, might also have been helping himself.

Michigan, which is now Buttigieg’s home state, will have a huge role in deciding who will be the next Democratic presidential nominee.

And Buttigieg isn’t the only contender stumping in the state for El-Sayed, a candidate who divided Democrats in the primary.

Earlier this month, after he won his primary, El-Sayed met California Gov. Gavin Newsom for a coffee in East Lansing, as part of a two-day, multistop swing through the state.

El-Sayed has also had conversations with other would-be 2028 contenders on helping his campaign. Just hours after he prevailed in the bruising primary against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), El-Sayed texted Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D).

He also heard from former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) in the days following his victory, sources confirmed.

The Hill reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.

Michigan, a must-win battleground state in the presidential fight, is increasingly becoming the state where the 2026 and 2028 races intersect.

Democrats are desperate to retain Michigan’s open Senate seat in November to help win back the Senate majority.

It’s also ground zero for the next presidential election, and El-Sayed’s campaign is offering an early opportunity for prospective candidates to test the waters with a diverse electorate.

“There’s a good case that Michigan will be the bellwether of the first tranche of Democratic primary states in 2028,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne.

“I believe the winner of the 2028 Michigan Democratic primary will be the eventual nominee and I suspect that you will see 2028 Democratic hopefuls on the ground in Michigan between now and Election Day this year not only to support Abdul El-Sayed, but also to start to build the infrastructure and support on the ground ahead of the presidential primary,” he added.

Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist who hails from Michigan, said it remains to be seen whether and how much time the eventual candidates will spend in the state.

“Which do and which don’t will tell us a lot about the politics of 2028,” Simmons said.

During Buttigieg’s appearance at the rally for El-Sayed and Michigan Democrats, he stressed what was on the line.

“The stakes are high and people from around the country, people from around the world are watching the state of Michigan right now to see if we have the capability to put together that coalition to win, and we will win,” Buttigieg said at the rally.

A few days later, Newsom flew into Michigan as part of a dizzying, campaign-style swing through the state where he met with union autoworkers and roughly 100 Black faith, economic and community leaders. Newsom also sat down for the first time with El-Sayed for a conversation that went on for more than 30 minutes.

A short time after their meeting, Newsom told Jack Cocchiarella, an independent journalist, that he felt El-Sayed was “a thoughtful person” who explained “his points of view in a thoughtful way.”

“This is not a wild ideologue,” Newsom said.

After the meeting, Newsom and El-Sayed appeared at an annual barbecue hosted by Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, where the governor was surrounded by attendees.

“Safe to say Michigan Democrats were excited by the opportunity to meet Gavin Newsom,” the governor’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, wrote in a post on the social platform X, along with a video of attendees surrounding Newsom.

Political observers say they expect other potential 2028 players, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who campaigned with and endorsed El-Sayed in the primary, to also be part of the rotating cast of characters in Michigan ahead of Election Day.

The visits to the Great Lakes State are no accident, particularly after the Democratic National Committee voted earlier this month to approve their presidential primary state calendar lineup.

Michigan will be the fifth state to hold the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries in 2028, and the state’s status as a perpetual battleground only cements its importance further.

The Great Lakes State isn’t the only state that potential 2028 candidates have been flocking to as they weigh possible runs. The New Hampshire Senate primary has also attracted a handful of notable candidates to campaign with front-runner Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), including Kelly and Buttigieg. Pappas also appeared on Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s podcast in January.

Democrats are watching to see which candidates the presidential hopefuls campaign next to and how closely they link themselves to El-Sayed.

“Some of them will campaign with and for El-Sayed. Some of them will campaign for [Michigan gubernatorial candidate] Jocelyn Benson … or for congressional candidates,” Michigan-based Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond said. “But it’ll be very interesting to see, based on what we see in the polling and sort of facts on the ground about how the El-Sayed candidacy is doing, how close these folks want to hug” him.

Longtime Michigan political analyst Ed Sarpolus, who’s worked with both parties and is not involved in the Senate race, suggested campaigning with Benson could be a safer choice for Democrats given some of the key constituencies her campaign will have an edge in.

He noted that female voters are expected to make up a majority of the Democratic presidential primary vote.

Benson’s running mate, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, is also from West Michigan, which Sarpolus added would be “very key in any presidential primary.”

Sarpolus said potential 2028 candidates “have to decide by aligning themselves so early, does that help you or hurt you politically?”

During the interview with Cocchiarella, the journalist teed Newsom up, noting that it was a “beautiful day” in Michigan.

“It’s always a beautiful day in Michigan,” Newsom said, before turning directly to the camera to offer: “Every day is a beautiful day in Michigan.”