Michigan Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin said she would not rule out a 2028 presidential run, as Democrats look to rebuild the party and find "a different way forward" with the next generation of rising leaders.
"I'm not so arrogant as to think it has to be me," Slotkin told the Des Moines Register when asked during a trip to Iowa whether she has presidential ambitions. "Midterms is what I'm focused on right now, but if it comes to the point afterwards that I think there's not anyone else who's on the right path, I guess I wouldn't say no forever."
Slotkin, 49, is among several Democrats raising their national profiles ahead of the next White House race. She first won a House seat in 2018 by flipping a Republican-held district, and in 2024 was one of only four Democrats to win a Senate seat in a state also carried by President Donald Trump.
Her appearance in Iowa this week added to speculation about her political future, even as she said she is focused on the 2026 midterm elections. Slotkin traveled to the state to campaign for Iowa Democrats and is scheduled to make additional stops in Ohio.
Democrats see Iowa as a major battleground in 2026, with two competitive U.S. House races, an open Senate seat due to Republican Sen. Joni Ernst's retirement, and a governor's contest expected to draw national attention.
After a town hall with 3rd District Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott, Slotkin said she is "not announcing anything" but made clear she wants to help shape the broader national debate within her party.
"Do I want to be in that national conversation and push my own party to be better ‘cause I like winning and I don't like when people who try to destroy democracy are in the White House? Yeah," she said.
Slotkin also joked about the political speculation that comes with visiting Iowa, saying that "the minute you try and set foot in Iowa, the people kind of lose their minds a little bit."
She argued that Democrats must reconnect with voters in the middle of the country and move beyond the party's establishment approach.
"This is part of why I think, right now, my value add can be coming back to the middle of the country where I'm from and trying to figure out a different way forward for the Democratic Party," she said. "The old system, the old guard, it's just not working for people."
As Democrats review the 2028 primary calendar, Slotkin said it would be "malpractice" not to include a Midwestern state early. But she also made clear she wants Michigan, not Iowa, to get the edge.
"I would get in a cage match with Iowa versus Michigan in order to have that first," she said.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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