A prominent Democratic strategist has identified Abdul El-Sayed as a potential dark-horse candidate for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s former campaign manager and senior White House adviser, suggested that Michigan Senator-elect El-Sayed could emerge as an unexpected White House contender if Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides against seeking the nomination.
Speaking at a forum hosted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, Plouffe said the Democratic primary would be “wide open” if the New York congresswoman chooses not to run.
“That’s where I think someone like Abdul [El-Sayed] may say, even though I just won, should I look at it?”
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 Democratic “bluenami” that gave the party control of both chambers of Congress.
The midterm results were particularly damaging for Republicans, as Democrats flipped districts that had remained reliably red for decades while progressive candidates recorded victories nationwide.
El-Sayed, a 42-year-old progressive, was among the winners and is set to become the first Muslim senator in American history in January.
David Plouffe, Obama’s former campaign manager and senior White House adviser, suggested that Michigan’s senator-elect could consider a 2028 presidential campaign
Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race after a late defection by a former rival unsettled Democrats
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won re-election in New York and is also rumored to be considering a 2028 campaign
“To President Trump, I know you struggle with my name. So after JD [Vance] swears me in, you can just call me senator,” he said, referring to the vice president.
Could the title eventually become 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.”
His internet domain history, however, has fueled speculation to the contrary.
In 2017, he registered three eyebrow-raising domains: elsayedforpresident.com, elsayedforpresident.org and adbulforpresident.org, Politico reported in May.
He re-registered the domain names earlier this year, prompting fresh questions among political observers about his ambitions.
El-Sayed has not offered any more recent comments about the next presidential election. When asked in October, he stressed that his attention was on Michigan.
Ocasio-Cortez and El-Sayed both maintain close ties to veteran Democratic politician Bernie Sanders
According to Legis 1, El-Sayed raised nearly $54 million for his Senate campaign, demonstrating his ability to build a substantial fundraising operation quickly.
Ocasio-Cortez has also secured another term in Congress, extending her time in Washington as speculation continues about a potential 2028 presidential bid.
She told The New York Times in September that she would make a decision after the midterms, describing 2028 as a possible—and perhaps only—opening.
“Oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot… Sometimes life just makes things ready for you,” she said.
In an Instagram statement following her re-election, she thanked her supporters and added, “Now let’s keep changing the world for working people everywhere.”
If she chooses to pursue the presidency, Ocasio-Cortez could face a crowded 2028 Democratic primary that may include outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom, Georgia Senator-elect Jon Ossoff—and potentially El-Sayed.
