Democrats’ surprisingly strong showing in the midterm elections has created a new crop of future party leaders — and some Democrats are wondering whether that future could be now.
As President Biden ponders a reelection run in 2024, tongues are wagging about some of the party’s Generation X rising stars including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist that helped steer Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s surprising 2020 presidential campaign, said the party has more depth than people tend to think.
“Democrats have a deep bench, it just happens that many of our biggest stars are located outside of Washington,” she said.