President Donald Trump’s second administration is nine months old and the Democratic Party, in

minority status in both houses of Congress, has been looking for champions as the new administration bulldozes political conventions and norms, transforming the United States rapidly at home and abroad. As of now, however, there is no frontrunner choice. US Senator Bernie Sanders, now 84, has essentially ruled out the possibility of running again, citing his age. But there are other possibilities being murmured among anxious Democrats: former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, California Governor Gavin Newsom… US Senator Cory Booker? Particularly optimistic (perhaps amusingly so) New Jersey Democrats have postulated that if Mikie Sherrill is able to beat Jack Ciattarelli in November, she could be positioned as a rising star presidential possibility in the future.

It seems, in 2025, an almost outlandish assertion, but Barack Obama had had a much shorter legislative career than Sherrill, sworn in as US Senator from Illinois in 2005 and then as the 44th President of the United States in 2009. The point being, the concept is not without precedent, even though it is far too early, and perhaps presumptuous, to speculate before the outcome of the 2025 gubernatorial election.

Nevertheless, if the presumed West Coast progressive champion in California, Governor Gavin Newsom, has been an outspoken and creative opponent of the president, the East Coast’s Cory Booker has been making waves in his own way, delivering impassioned speeches, calling on Democrats to stand and meet the moment. International news flashed of Booker’s fiery clash with FBI Director Kash Patel, and his record-setting filibuster on March 31 to April 1 slammed the Trump administration for 25 hours and invoked John Lewis, calling upon Democrats to meet “our moral moment.”

Booker, dehydrated and exhausted, eventually stepped down and Senate business resumed, with no overt change of the direction of the upper house, but his star shone brightly, encouraging the Democratic base, lighting up social media, and making Democratic leaders rub their chins, wondering if the former Newark mayor was building a movement, or simply a flash in the pan. In any event, many were proud to see the African-American senator take the record from its previous holder, Strom Thurmond, who unsuccessfully railed against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Whether or not that moment will be recognized as the start of Booker’s revived presidential aspirations remains to be seen. New Jerseyans will recall that Booker launched his own presidential bid in 2019, with the support of Governor Phil Murphy, US Senator Bob Menendez, and the entire Democratic House delegation. He was unable to gain significant traction and due to low polling was denied a chance to participate in the December debate. At this point, Booker backed out and later endorsed Joe Biden.

Since that time, Booker has, unquestionably, gained more name recognition around the country, and cultivated his social media presence to further that end.

Enter, then, Gavin Newsom.

Decried as an arch-liberal boogeyman by the right, Governor Newsom (often called “Newscum” by the 45th President) has pledged to push back against the Trump agenda, and, while never out of the overall view, rocketed into national attention when the president demanded five more additional House seats from Texas to ensure a stronger Republican majority in the 2026 midterms, presumably from fears of a Blue Wave as voters feel the economic effects of continually rising prices, tariffs, declining agricultural exports, immigration turmoil, and attacks on regulatory bureaucracies, the media, and educational institutions. Texas Republicans obliged by initiating an unusual, although not illegal, gerrymandered redistricting plan mid-decade to meet the president’s demands. Texan Democrats refused to participate, with many fleeing the state to prevent a quorum and thus inhibit the legislative process. As Governor Greg Abbott called for Democratic legislators to be arrested for trying to leave the state, they eventually returned to Austin and the Republican plan advanced as expected. Watching from Sacramento, Newsom had been loudly critical of what we saw as the deliberate manipulation of the future elections to serve the whim of the president. He, in turn, promised to impose redistricting to favor Democrats in California if Texas successfully made their move. He made good on his promise and put forward a referendum item that would potentially gerrymander the map to give 5 more Democratic seats, negating the Texan gains. An Emerson College Polling survey this week showed a slim majority of Californian voters support the referendum. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican but nevertheless strong opponent of Donald Trump, has voiced his opposition to the referendum.

While Booker has cultivated a not-insignificant social media presence and following, with his team frequently sharing stories and news updates, it is Newsom’s staff who have captured the left-leaning limelight online.

As the president is known globally for his penchant for unfiltered, and often outlandish, social media posts, he has a particular style that has been picked up like red meat for tech-savvy political staffers. Newsom is soaking up national attention, burning up the memeverse with his social media director inspiring a mixture of laughter and rage by mimicking the ranting style of the White House’s and president’s own social media posts, often replete with AI pictures centered around Newsom, poking fun at the White House’s own use of AI for cartoonish messaging around the chief executive.

But Newsom isn’t just playing games online. When rampant disaffection within the Democratic base, troublesome for elected leaders who are in the minority in both houses of Congress, Democratic voters are demanding action and leadership. With a seemingly moribund, room-temperature top-level leadership held by US Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, both from New York, the right-wing continues to defy conventional norms, break with traditions, exert unprecedented authorities, and has effectively captured the entirety of social media networking. A strongly-worded letter from the likes of Schumer, or a PTO-intoned statement from Jeffries has not resulted in any appreciable rally on the other side of the aisle.

The progressive wing of the party has seen the likes of AOC and Bernie Sanders traveling the country, going into red districts, and hosting rallies with strong turnout. Booker remains largely confined to the conventional with regards to messaging, but has amped up his presence and visibility. If he has presidential aspirations, however, he will need to learn and adapt from his first campaign’s lack of connection, and to avoid the mistakes and overcome the challenges Kamala Harris faced, as she carried Booker’s home state by an uncomfortably small margin. Newsom has been characterized as an arch-liberal boogeyman from California, once the political cradle of then-Governor Ronald Reagan, now largely seen by the right as a bastion of disconnected Hollyweird elites. The power of captaining California, however, is undeniable. California today, with a population just shy of 40 million, is now the fourth largest economy in the world, ahead of Japan and behind Germany. If Newsom can counter Texas’ gerrymandering plan with one of its own, Newsom will have thrown a monkey wrench into the president’s designs for a strengthened majority in the US House of Representatives, where Republicans have 219 to Democrats 213, following the special election win of Virginia’s Representative-elect James Walkinshaw. Control of the congress will determine whether the president has a free hand to implement his policies as he wishes, throw up roadblocks to his agenda, or provoke a major constitutional crisis if the authorities of the two branches as defined by the constitution are ignored or challenged.

Against that backdrop is where the 2028 Democratic aspirants will find themselves, potentially counting Booker and Newsom among them.

Some might point out that New Jersey, historically, is not a strong path to the White House. Grover Cleveland, thus far, is the only New Jerseyan to have served as president. Virginian Woodrow Wilson was briefly governor of New Jersey before becoming president, but California also only has two claimants—both recent and both Republicans: Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan. A primary challenge in a field including Booker and Newsom might prove needlessly divisive, but unlike the California governor, another aspirational path remains open to Booker within his own wheelhouse. He could, in the event he decides against a theoretical presidential run, try to replace the uninspiring 74-year-old Schumer for senate leadership. Still relatively young, energetic, drawing millions of eyeballs to his messaging, Booker may be a strong candidate for the nation’s upper house at a time when so many Democratic leaders are still struggling to inspire and make headway in the second Trump administration. They are competing as a minority party and struggling to congeal a message to win back voters, still seemingly dedicated to operating within typical norms and conventions long-abandoned by their opponents. Should Booker’s future plans include remaining in the Senate, he would have a strong case to step up within that chamber as Newsom weighs the possibility of challenging other Democratic leaders in the run up to 2028.

With the presidential election still years away, but presidential positioning occurring now, all eyes are on New Jersey's gubernatorial election as a barometer of the national mood. Where New Jersey ultimately goes in November of 2025 may very well provide a glimpse into the electorate's tilt heading into next year's midterms. From there, speculation becomes more and more imperfect, but there remains the ultimate prize, for either party, the 2028 presidential election.