Veteran Democratic strategist David Plouffe has identified Abdul El-Sayed as a potential dark-horse contender for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
Plouffe, Barack Obama’s former campaign manager and a senior White House adviser, suggested that Michigan Senator-elect El-Sayed could consider a White House bid if Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides not to run.
Speaking at a forum hosted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, Plouffe said the Democratic field could be “wide open” if the New York congresswoman rules out a 2028 campaign.
“That’s where I think someone like Abdul [El-Sayed] may say, even though I just won, should I look at it?” Plouffe said.
He continued: “That’s the thing about this race. It’s so wide open that there may be some people who run who surprise us.”
Plouffe’s comments follow a sweeping Democratic victory that has been dubbed a “bluenami,” giving the party control of both chambers of Congress.
The midterm results were particularly damaging for Republicans because Democrats captured districts that had remained reliably red for decades, while progressive candidates scored notable victories nationwide.
El-Sayed was among the winners. The 42-year-old progressive is expected to become the first Muslim senator in American history when he takes office in January.
Obama’s former campaign manager and senior White House advisor, David Plouffe, floated the idea of Michigan’s Senator-elect to make a 2028 presidential run
Abdul El-Sayed has won the Michigan Senate race, surviving a late defection by a former rival that rattled the nerves of Democrats
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her re-election race in New York and is also rumored to prepare for 2028
“To President Trump, I know you struggle with my name. So after JD [Vance] swears me in, you can just call me senator,” El-Sayed said, referring to the vice president.
Could the next title be Mr. President?
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El-Sayed said in May that he was “closing the door on 2028,” insisting that he was “not interested at all” in seeking the presidency.
His online presence, however, has fueled speculation to the contrary.
According to Politico, he registered three attention-grabbing domains in 2017: elsayedforpresident.com, elsayedforpresident.org and adbulforpresident.org.
He renewed the domain names earlier this year, prompting renewed questions about whether he may harbor broader political ambitions.
El-Sayed has not offered any more recent comments about the next presidential election. When questioned in October, he stressed that his attention remained fixed on Michigan.
Both AOC and El-Sayed have close ties with Democratic veteran Bernie Sanders
El-Sayed raised nearly $54 million for his Senate campaign, according to Legis 1, demonstrating his ability to build a formidable fundraising operation.
Ocasio-Cortez also won another term in Congress, extending her time in Washington as speculation mounts over a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
In a September interview with The New York Times, she said she would make a decision after the midterms and described 2028 as a potentially unique opportunity.
“Oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot… Sometimes life just makes things ready for you,” she said.
After her re-election, she thanked supporters in an Instagram post, writing, “Now let’s keep changing the world for working people everywhere.”
If Ocasio-Cortez ultimately pursues the presidency, she could enter a crowded Democratic primary featuring possible candidates such as outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom and Georgia Senator-elect Jon Ossoff—and potentially El-Sayed as well.
