For Rising Democrats, the Quiet Race to Lead the Party Began Months Ago
The New York Times
As Kamala Harris dominated attention on the 2024 trail, ambitious Democrats were also blanketing the country, building relationships that could pay dividends in the fight for the party’s future.
In Texas, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan paid homage to Beyoncé, a Houston native, and told a room full of Democratic activists about the party’s successes in her state.
In Georgia, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania spoke at a storied Atlanta church where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, introducing himself as a fellow person of faith.
And as early voting began in Nevada, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois was in the state, rallying with union members and attending a block party in support of abortion rights.
Democrats didn’t have a competitive presidential primary race this year, the kind of contest that could have propelled state leaders to national stardom and forced a robust discussion about the direction of the party.
But as up-and-coming Democrats blanketed the country — campaigning for the presidential ticket, promoting down-ballot candidates, working the national fund-raising and cable news circuits — many of them also managed to quietly develop bigger platforms, broader networks and a batch of new admirers across some of the country’s most politically important states.
Such advantages will help determine who has outsize influence in the debate over the beleaguered party’s future — and who generates the most buzz in the earliest stages of the next presidential race.
