Obama’s oracle names Bernie Sanders-backed insurgent as 2028 Democratic dark horse if AOC passes

David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s former campaign manager and senior White House adviser, has suggested Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed could be a surprise contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides not to run. He described the field as wide open, drawing attention to El-Sayed’s possible ambitions despite the politician previously saying he was not interested.

El-Sayed, 42, is set to become the first Muslim senator in the United States in January and raised nearly $54 million for his Senate campaign. He registered several presidential campaign domain names in 2017 and renewed them earlier this year, though he has made no recent declaration of intent and says his focus is Michigan. Ocasio-Cortez has said she will decide about 2028 after the midterms; other possible Democratic candidates include Gavin Newsom and Jon Ossoff.