* AP…
The Democratic Party’s most ambitious politicians are courting African American activists in New York this week as the party’s unofficial 2028 presidential nomination contest takes shape at an annual conference led by Rev. Al Sharpton. […]
“Everybody’s talking about who may run for president,” said Sharpton, the National Action Network’s founder and president. “I want to first know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.”
In addition to Shapiro, the speaking program features Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the last Democratic presidential nominee, is also scheduled to speak. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another likely contender, won’t be in attendance because of a previously scheduled family commitment, his team said, noting that he met with Sharpton earlier in the year.
* Bloomberg…
The conference is a key step in Sharpton’s endorsement process, he said. He wants to hear from the attendees about what they’ve done to combat President Donald Trump’s efforts to limit voting access and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and what they would do if elected.
Sharpton, who ran his own unsuccessful campaign for president in 2004, also wants to observe how well the potential candidates mesh with conference attendees.
“I will be looking at their chemistry with our community,” Sharpton said.
Gov. Pritzker is scheduled for a fireside chat with Rev. Al Sharpton at 11:30 central time. Click here to watch.
Thoughts?
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 11:43 am:
===Thoughts? ===
The sentiment that JB Pritzker is going to run for President has been a refrain among all of the Rauner appointees that he kept in place when he became Governor as they continue to fail to reflect the stated values of the Governor and actively work to undermine his administration.
Every time the Governor has caught a mention on national news since he was elected the refrain continues as they use it as a basis to hold out hope that some day soon they’ll have a Governor that doesn’t hold the same values and principles that Governor Pritzker does.
If the Governor is going to run for President we can expect that he’ll announce before this time next year.
Al Sharpton is welcome to guess. I am content to wait until he says so, one way or another.
In the end, though, the fact that we’ve been talking about him running for President since he first got elected (and maybe even before then) has has negatively impacted his administration as people who actively hope for him to fail also continue to hope for his departure from state government so that their poor performance can keep on squeaking by with out being properly addressed.
- Just Me 2 - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 11:50 am:
Just once I wish we had a Governor whose priority was managing the State instead of some other personal interest:
Blagojevich — priority was himself
Quinn — priority was his PR
Rauner — priority was crushing unions
Pritzker — priority is running for President
- SwSider - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:07 pm:
I wonder if he’ll talk more about the needs for school districts to make budget cuts.
Looking at that list, it’s a shame for our state that Pritzker feels like he has to tack to the center in the primary and the left.
- Warmest - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:14 pm:
It will be interesting to watch Pritzker try to buy another office. I have to say, I agree with Candy. Why was Rahm not invited?
- Proud Sucker - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:16 pm:
==Just once I wish we had a Governor whose priority was managing the State instead of some other personal interest:==
Certainly a valid concern. Whereas our past three Governors priorities caused conflict with their elected position, so far Pritzker seems able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Still loving the credit upgrades and on-time budgets.
- InIllinois - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:41 pm:
@Warmest
Just a guess, but in 2015, Sharpton said Rahm should step down as Mayor of Chicago due to his handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting.
In 2019 Sharpton supported Kim Fox when Rahm criticized her and called him a hypocrite.
He might have wrote off Rahm a while ago.
- SOIL M - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:46 pm:
Is there any chance that Sharpton would endorse Pritzker or Shapiro? Those two both have a strong antisemitic wing of their party that they would have to overcome.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:54 pm:
===Why was Rahm not invited? ===
It has been a decade, but it might have something to do with his administration’s response to cops killing unarmed black kids in general, and the murder of Laquan McDonald specifically.
Going on television shows is a whole lot easier than inviting everyone to examine your entire history in government. Added bonus if Rahm were to run is how exactly to approach his father’s involvement in a terrorist organization that is currently much harder to brush under the rug than it was a decade ago and would require at the very least a statement condemning it.
===Pritzker seems able to walk and chew gum at the same time.===
The governor’s done a good job. A lot of my frustration is from his administration not fully rising to the potential it could have had. A lot of his efforts flounder when they get to the desks of the people who created the problems our state government faces in the first place.
- benniefly2 - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 12:56 pm:
“won’t be in attendance because of a previously scheduled family commitment”
Is that a euphemism for it conflicted with his weekly French Laundry reservation?
- Original Rambler - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 1:11 pm:
I didn’t realize Sharpton had such gravitas. Maybe since JJ passed on Sharpton has taken his place.
- Ducky - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 1:39 pm:
Quite the knee bending from a group that has been vocal about others bending a knee in deference to power.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 2:46 pm:
- Why was Rahm not invited? -
Do you really think there is any chance Rev. Sharpton would support a candidate that covered up a police murder of a black teenager? Rahm is not a serious contender for POTUS.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 3:07 pm:
===Added bonus if Rahm were to run is how exactly to approach his father’s involvement in a terrorist organization that is currently much harder to brush under the rug than it was a decade ago and would require at the very least a statement condemning it.===
Wut? How did you get from this post to Rahm Emanuel’s deceased father?
The decision making at the federal level is so unstable that no one really knows what the world will look like when the primaries start. There could be real crisis in Illinois that requires a full-time Governor. And no one knows if any of the candidates are going to stick in the Democratic primary.
- Proud Sucker - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 3:27 pm:
==A lot of his efforts flounder when they get to the desks of the people who created the problems our state government faces in the first place.==
This^^ It has been the enigma of his tenure. He could have been doing even better.
- Peoria Pete - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:14 pm:
I fail to see that a Sharpton endorsement is significant for any Dem presidential candidate.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:17 pm:
- I fail to see that a Sharpton endorsement is significant for any Dem presidential candidate. -
Gee, you should have reached out to all these folks and let them know not to waste their time. LOL
- Responsa - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:43 pm:
Courting American voters as individual candidates rather than concentrating on courting “African American activists” as a pack seems like it might be a better idea for these guys. Gavin is a doofus. But he is obviously attempting to separate himself out from the other aspirants.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:45 pm:
Responsa, it’s April of 2026. The first primary isn’t until 2028. Plenty of time for all sorts of things.
Also, this is a Democratic primary.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:46 pm:
===How did you get from this post to Rahm Emanuel’s deceased father?===
We’re discussing why Rahm wasn’t included. I pointed out the obvious and then threw in a bonus factor that I don’t think other politicos weighing in on Rahm’s prospects as a national candidate had considered.
Any serious candidate for the Democratic nomination for the office of the President of the United States is going to need a very clear position on foreign policy towards Israel, our previous two state solution policy, and it is going to wind up being a focal point as we’ve seen in Democratic congressional primaries and with AIPAC’s involvement also making sure the issue is front and center.
Regardless of whatever Rahm’s position is, something that I think is unique to him from any other candidate is that prior to his father immigrating to the United States his father participated in Irgun, which has been described by the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Nations as being a terrorist organization. A terrorist organization that specifically targeted Palestinians.
I don’t think it would have been as much of an issue a decade ago, but I think things have pivoted in domestic politics at this point.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 9, 26 @ 4:58 pm:
===Plenty of time for all sorts of things.===
We’re likely to see the first announcement of a Democratic candidate in November of December of 2026. There’s no good political reason for some of the potential candidates to wait until they’re competing with some of the bigger names for divided press attention.