Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) Convention in New York City is drawing potential 2028 Democratic contenders looking to engage Black voters, The Hill reported.
Scheduled to attend the April 8-11 convention include former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. While none have formally announced 2028 campaigns or openly said they were running, the NAN convention is a great way to put issues in front of Black voters, who have historically shaped the outcome of Democratic races.
Democratic strategist Joel Payne said the NAN convention “starts to give you a sense of what this field is going to look like.”
“Black voters are a core—if not the core—group of constituents in the Democratic coalition, and this is the first time these candidates are going to be sized up,” Payne said. “It’s a chance to reset narratives and set what your public profile might be.”
Shapiro spoke to the crowd, warning that “everyone is less safe” under President Donald Trump’s leadership, blaming him for a new surge of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry.
“There’s more chaos, there’s more cruelty in our world,” Shapiro said, according to WRIC. “Even if we disagree on health care policy or tax policy or whatever, we should at least, at a baseline, have an honorable president of the United States. We do not have that right now.”
Shapiro touched on his electability and his commitment to Black priorities on stage, describing Pennsylvania as “the ultimate swing state” that defends DEI programs and insists that law enforcement be held accountable when they do something wrong.
However, all eyes are still on Harris, the former vice president, to take over the Oval Office in 2028. “She is the pace car,” Payne said. “She is where the story starts.”
It is still unclear whether she will run again, offering voters only a slight insight into her thoughts. During a conversation with podcaster and author Sharon McMahon, Harris said, “I haven’t decided” and “I might.”
Sharpton thinks Harris should give it another try.
“I wouldn’t ignore the fact that she’s absolutely a potent force in the Black community,” the civil rights leader said.
But there is the younger voter demographic to be concerned with. Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, who also served as the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, feels that will be the true test.
“Harris is best known and likely most favored by the audience, but some voters, particularly younger ones, wonder if she should run again despite how well she campaigned last summer,” Smikle said.
Other speakers on the agenda include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, California Rep. Ro Khanna, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
But Ashley Sharpton, Rev. Sharpton’s youngest daughter, believes Harris can bring the energy, just like she did in her 107-day campaign. “That’s why people come,” she said. “They want to get some of that energy, that consistency, that base.”
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