“Pete Buttigieg is widely admired as a first-class communicator. But many Democrats think he’s lacking as an administrator — and are pointing to his time as President Biden’s transportation secretary,” Axios reports.

“Several of Buttigieg’s potential rivals for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president are quietly beginning to pick at his work in Biden’s Cabinet as a vulnerability, rather than an asset.”

“I’m here to beg Kamala Harris to please run again in 2028. There’s nothing I’d love to see more than the President Trump-Kamala Harris rematch of 2028.”

— Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, quoted by the Daily Beast.

“Former Vice President Kamala Harris is resuscitating and rebranding her 2024 campaign social media accounts, KamalaHQ, as she takes her next steps back into the national spotlight,” Politico reports.

“Harris is joining forces with People For the American Way, a progressive nonprofit, to relaunch the social platforms as ‘Headquarters,’ which will mobilize and organize young people, per a memo announcing the revival. Headquarters will also expand to other platforms, like YouTube and Substack. Harris promises supporters in a video accompanying the rebrand that she’ll ‘see you out there.’”

CNN: Harris relaunches her old “Kamala HQ” account as an online organizing project.

Gov. Andy Beshear is still the country’s most popular Democratic governor, with 65% of registered voters in Kentucky approving of the job he’s doing, the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

“James Carville said he favors Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) as the party’s nominee for president in the 2028 election,” The Hill reports.

Said Carville: “If I had to say one guy — I really don’t know him, very superficially — but if I were like betting the Kentucky Derby and I saw this 12-to-1 horse and I said, ‘Yeah, I want to get a price,’ I’d take JB Pritzker.'”

He added: “They like him, man. He campaigns hard. I bet you there’s not a Black church in South Carolina that JB’s not a part of the building fund committee… He’s worth $3 billion and won a million and a half dollars shooting craps and blackjack in Las Vegas! That makes people like him!”

Chris Cillizza puts out his ranking of the top ten Democratic candidates and has Pritzker in tenth place.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer launched a newsletter and her first post sounds like she’s running for president.

“Michigan is one of the toughest states to win, and I’m proud that we won statewide twice by double digits. But that wasn’t dumb luck. We spent time in the reddest parts of the state where Democrats typically didn’t bother showing up, and we stayed focused on the kitchen-table issues without compromising our values.”

“I know that our successes in Michigan can be replicated nationwide.”

Vogue profiles Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is clearly laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign.

“Let’s get this out of the way: He is embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence as he delivers his final State of the State address.”

Nathan Heller: “California’s governor has been touted as the Democrats’ best shot in 2028. But first he’ll need to convince voters that he’s not just a slick establishment politician.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said that in his view, Vice President JD Vance has “offered comfort” to people on the right who espouse anti-Jewish views, as the Republican Party navigates an ongoing intra-coalition feud over antisemitism, NBC News reports.

“President Trump and his orbit have become increasingly angry with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), miffed by moves the Missouri Republican has made in laying the groundwork for a possible 2028 bid for president,” Axios reports.

“Hawley, once a key Trump ally on the Hill, has shown a willingness to break with the White House — rare among Republicans — on issues from abortion to presidential war powers.”

“It’s a stunning turnabout for Hawley, who objected to certifying Trump’s 2020 election defeat and was famously pictured raising his fist in solidarity with Jan. 6 rioters before they assaulted the U.S. Capitol.”

Democratic strategist David Axelrod has some sharp critiques of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) as he prepares for a potential White House run, Axios reports.

Said Axelrod: “Haven’t we seen enough self-puffery in our leaders? This, ‘Why can’t people just be as courageous as ME?’ routine is tedious.”

“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is wildly popular with voters in his critical battleground state. But among some top Democrats there who know him personally, feelings are lukewarm — sometimes even resentful,” Axios reports.

“Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican eyeing a 2028 White House run, torched Vice President Vance and ridiculed President Trump’s tariff policy during private meetings with donors,” Axios reports.

“The recordings — nearly 10 minutes in total — provide an unvarnished look at how Cruz is positioning himself as a traditional free trade, pro-interventionist Republican ahead of a possible 2028 primary campaign against the less hawkish Vance.”

“During his talks, Cruz cast Vance as a pawn of conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson.”

President Trump cautioned Gov. Josh Shapiro about running for president, telling him the job is “very, very dangerous,” the Pennsylvania governor said in a CBS News interview.

Said Shapiro: “And he said, ‘You know, being president’s a really dangerous job.’ And he rattled off other jobs that have a lower fatality rate than presidents. And he said, ‘It’s very, very dangerous. Just be careful.'”

He added: “I said, ‘Mr. President, I’m not looking to run for president.’ And he said, ‘Well, I just wanted to share that with you.’ And so it was a strange conversation that bounced through a lot of different topics. But look, I appreciate the fact that he called.”