2028 presidential hopefuls flock to key battleground states: Where have they traveled?

One year after the 2026 midterm elections, major names in the Democratic Party are taking the show on the road, saying they are helping the party lay the groundwork for the fight for the U.S. House of Representatives.

They may also be preparing to run for president.

ABC News tracked at least two dozen visits by Democratic presidential candidates to the campaign trail in key 2025 elections that Democrats swept — New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, New York City’s mayoral races, and California’s redistricting proposal race.

Separately, ABC News tracked at least 43 visits or planned visits so far in 2025 and 2026 by Democratic presidential candidates to key early presidential election or battleground states. Some of these states are also expected to be key battlegrounds in the House of Representatives in 2026.

The Early State and Battle State count excludes whether the state is their home state and does not account for multiple visits by the same candidate.

“Anyone looking ahead to the 2028 cycle is starting to get out of the way,” Sawyer Hackett, a veteran Democratic strategist who worked on the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Julián Castro, told ABC News. “Focusing on states that could decide control of the House is your best bet, and probably should be your sole focus between now and the midterms.”

2025 electoral states: New Jersey, Virginia, California, New York City

In New Jersey, Democratic candidate and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill received support during his campaign from a host of presidential candidates, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, California Rep. Ro Khanna, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and New Jersey Sen. Cory. Booker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

In Virginia, Democratic candidate and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger was supported by Beshear, Buttigieg, Emanuel, Gallego, Kelly, Khanna, Moore, Shapiro, and Whitmer.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Klobuchar ran separately for Proposition 50 in California, while Khanna and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ran for Democratic mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani in New York City.

Key early states: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina

Some presidential hopefuls have flocked to states witnessing early nomination contests. The Democratic Party is currently reevaluating its calendar for when those early contests will take place, but Hackett said Democrats hoping to run are still covering their bases.

Iowa, which typically boasts a first-time caucus in the country, will host a closely watched Senate race next year. The state also has some competitive House seats.

Iowa hosted former Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in March, Buttigieg at a town hall in May, while Gallego visited in August and Emanuel came in September. Kelly is scheduled to visit the country in November, while Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen spoke to Iowa Democrats in September.

New Hampshire, which is holding the nation’s first presidential primary and will hold a contested U.S. Senate race in 2026 for the seat vacated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, hosted several lawmakers. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited earlier this month; Gallego and Khanna went on hiatus in August. Klobuchar was there in July, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will visit in November.

When Illinois Governor JB Pritzker visited the country last April, he painted a bleak picture for his party.

“Democrats, for too long we have been guilty of listening to a bunch of do-nothing politicians who tell you the American house is not burning, even as the flames lick their faces,” Pritzker said.

Meanwhile, South Carolina is also holding an early presidential primary. This year saw visits from Beshear, Khanna and Newsom in July – who told rural residents that “what we are seeing is America in reverse.”

Kelly visited in September, while Maryland Gov. Wes Moore visited Walls in late May for a “Fish Fry” event organized by South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, which was often a breeding water for would-be candidates on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Both Walz and Moore previously told ABC News they are not “running” for president or have no plans to run.

Battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin

Many of the 2028 presidential candidates also made inroads into the seven battleground states that either party has deemed winnable and have significant influence over where campaigns put their resources.

A few potential candidates have made or are planning a visit to Arizona, including Ocasio-Cortez, who visited in March as part of an oligarch-fighting tour run by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. Whitmer visited the country in March, Booker visited in April, and Buttigieg visited in October. Harris, who recently said she would “probably” run for president again, will speak there in April 2026.

Arizona has two congressional seats currently held by Republicans who are considered contenders, according to the Cook Political Report.

Georgia is often the site of close presidential races and crucial down-ballot races. Khanna visited the book in August, while Harris stopped there on her book tour in October.

Further north, Moore and Khanna visited this year the battleground state of Michigan, where both President Donald Trump and Democratic Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin won in 2024.

Wisconsin, which had the closest margin between Trump and Harris in 2024 among battleground states, saw visits from Klobuchar in March, Khanna in May, Walz in March and September, and Whitmer in October.

Nevada, which also often appears early in the presidential primary calendar, saw visits this year from Ocasio-Cortez in March, Pritzker and Khanna in August, and Gallego and Kelly in September.

North Carolina witnessed visits from Pritzker in July and Buttigieg in September. Harris visited for a book tour there in October, while fellow Californian Khanna will visit in November.

Pennsylvania is also a key battleground state. Moore gave the commencement address at Lincoln University in Gettysburg in May, the same month that Gallego and Khanna made their own visits. It is worth noting that two Republicans in Pennsylvania, Representatives Scott Perry and Ryan McKenzie, are expected to face fierce battles to hold on to their seats.

Khanna recently said that the party’s focus is on regaining control of the House of Representatives, which has a Republican majority.

“We already have a number of great 2028 candidates emerging, but the focus now must be on winning back the House in terms of political priority,” Khanna told public media outlet Why.