Dem governors weighing White House face the DeSantis dilemma

Democratic governors considering a run for the presidency in 2028 must navigate a tricky dilemma similar to that faced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after his 2022 re-election. DeSantis aides have warned governors not to wait too long after the November midterms to announce their candidacies, as doing so risks not being focused on constituents during their post-election legislative sessions.

Instead, they must decide whether to wait until late spring to accomplish policy wins and potentially gain an advantage over opponents, or to risk their political standing by starting their presidential campaigns early.

For DeSantis, waiting to announce his candidacy in late May 2023 proved to be a costly mistake. His opponents, particularly former President Donald Trump, were able to attack him while he was still enjoying his post-election legislative successes. The former governor's aides have since expressed regret over this approach, noting that the diminishing returns of passing conservative legislation in Florida's 2023 session were a result of his already extensive record.

Now, Democratic governors such as Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro, Maryland's Wes Moore, Illinois' JB Pritzker, and Kentucky's Andy Beshear are all facing a similar dilemma. While they have not explicitly declared their candidacies, their allies and teams are debating whether to wait until after their legislative sessions are over to make their presidential bids or to risk starting early and potentially facing attacks from both rivals and state legislators.

The 2028 Democratic primary is expected to be different from the 2024 Republican primary, as Trump's legal indictments have rallied many Republican voters around him, making the political landscape more complex for potential Democratic candidates.