Four midterms takeaways for 2028 White House race

The buzz about the presidential election is already under way – here's what we learned this week. Ballots are still being counted in the US midterm elections but the political landscape is already pivoting to the 2028 White House race. Buoyed by major gains in Congress, Democrats will have momentum as they prepare for the contest to succeed President Donald Trump. But a good showing in the midterms does not guarantee a White House win two years later. Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012 despite huge Republican gains in 2010. No one has yet entered the presidential race but potential candidates will be preparing behind the scenes. Vice-President's JD Vance's reflection on where the midterms went wrong for Republicans has been interpreted as him paving the way for a 2028 run.

The results of Tuesday's election and the historic size of Democratic gains could shape the White House race in several ways. Here are four takeaways. Several prominent potential presidential candidates were running in the 2026 midterms – and some emerged looking strong. Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff won by a sizeable margin in the politically competitive state that Trump won in 2024. While he has previously said he has no plans to run for president, his successful campaign, with several viral moments, helped boost his national profile. Another potential