Presidential research
2028 presidential field tracker
Contenders for each party's 2028 presidential nomination, listed by one published inclusion rule that never takes party as an input. Every status change carries a dated receipt, and each party's nomination calendar cites the party or state document that sets it.
Contenders by party
Democratic nomination
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Publicly considering since Sep 22, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
U.S. Representative
Andy Beshear
Publicly considering since Jun 27, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Governor
Gavin Newsom
Publicly considering since Sep 14, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Governor
Kamala Harris
Publicly considering since Jul 31, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Vice President
Pete Buttigieg
Publicly considering since Aug 4, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Cabinet secretary
Republican nomination
JD Vance
Publicly considering since May 8, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Vice President
John N. Kennedy
Publicly considering since Jun 13, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
U.S. Senator
Rand Paul
Publicly considering since Sep 24, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
U.S. Senator
Ron DeSantis
Publicly considering since May 4, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
Governor
Ted Cruz
Publicly considering since Aug 26, 2026. Receipt
Status last verified Oct 5, 2026.
U.S. Senator
Next nomination contests
Confirmed means the date is fixed by state law or by the body that runs the contest and matches the national party's adopted calendar. Everything else is tentative.
Democratic early window
| Order | State | Contest | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | Primary | Jan 22, 2028 (tentative) | Source DNC-adopted early-window date; the state party has not yet set the primary in place. |
| 2 | Nevada | Primary | Feb 1, 2028 (confirmed) | Source NRS 298.650: presidential preference primary on the first Tuesday in February; matches the DNC-adopted calendar (democrats.org, 2026-08-15). |
| 3 | New Hampshire | Primary | Feb 8, 2028 (tentative) | Source DNC-adopted date conflicts with RSA 653:9, which requires New Hampshire to hold the first primary; the Secretary of State has said he will defend the state law. |
| 4 | New Mexico | Primary | Feb 15, 2028 (tentative) | Source DNC-adopted early-window date; New Mexico's state primary is currently scheduled in June. |
| 5 | Michigan | Primary | Feb 22, 2028 (confirmed) | Source MCL 168.613a: statewide presidential primary on the fourth Tuesday in February after 2024; matches the DNC-adopted calendar (democrats.org, 2026-08-15). |
| 6 | Virginia | Primary | Feb 29, 2028 (tentative) | Source DNC-adopted early-window date; Virginia's state primary is currently on Super Tuesday (2028-03-07). |
Republican early window
| Order | State | Contest | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | Caucus | Not yet set (tentative) | Source RNC kept Iowa first in the 2028 early window (2026-09-10); caucus date not yet set. |
| 2 | New Hampshire | Primary | Not yet set (tentative) | Source RNC early-window position 2 (2026-09-10); date set by the New Hampshire Secretary of State under RSA 653:9, not yet announced. |
| 3 | Nevada | Primary | Feb 1, 2028 (tentative) | Source RNC early-window position 3 (iowagop.org, 2026-09-10). NRS 298.650 holds the state-run primary on 2028-02-01; whether the state party allocates delegates through it or a party-run caucus is not yet announced. |
| 4 | South Carolina | Not yet announced | Not yet set (tentative) | Source RNC early-window position 4 (2026-09-10); format and date not yet announced. |
Status ledger
How the field is tiered
Rule version 2026-10-05.2. Party is not an input: the same filings, offices, and receipts produce the same tier for every party.
Contenders are added to this tracker from receipted public records. FEC filing, committee and receipts inputs are entered from FEC records as of the dates shown; they are not synced automatically, so each contender shows when its status was last verified.
Tier 1: Major contender
Filed FEC Form 2 with a designated principal campaign committee, and either has held a qualifying federal or statewide office or has reported at least $1,000,000 in receipts.
Tier 2: Notable contender
Filed FEC Form 2 with a designated principal campaign committee and reported at least $100,000 in receipts (the presidential matching-fund threshold), or has held a qualifying office and is publicly considering a run: an exploratory or declared status, or a prospective status documented by at least two receipts from different sources.
Tier 3: Other contender
Every other contender registered in this tracker. Counted, not listed.