More Than 200 Candidates File for 2028 Presidential Race

Although hundreds typically register, only a small number mount serious campaigns.

A voter casts her ballot on Election Day in Canton, N.C., on Nov. 5, 2024. George Walker IV/AP Photo

More than 200 individuals have filed paperwork to run for president in 2028, even as Democrats begin internal debates over which states will lead their nominating contests.

The United States will hold its 61st presidential election on Nov. 7, 2028. As of Aug. 28, a total of 211 candidates are officially registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), highlighting the rapid pace of filings more than three years before Election Day.

Although hundreds typically register, only a small number mount serious campaigns. Most of those registered in the 2028 cycle are little-known figures. No nationally prominent politicians have yet declared.

Presidential filings have ballooned since the FEC allowed electronic submissions in 2015. The 2016 cycle drew a record 1,740 registrants, followed by 1,564 in 2024 and 1,196 in 2020, elections data show. Earlier election cycles saw far fewer registrations—427 in 2012 and 384 in 2008.

With 1,167 days until voters head to the polls, the swelling 2028 candidate list shows the contest is already shaping up.

The Republican Party accounts for the largest bloc, with 62 registered candidates. The roster is entirely composed of little-known individuals, though the volume of filings highlights early GOP energy ahead of the primaries.

The Democratic Party has 49 candidates on the books. The list consists of long-shot or unknown figures, with no prominent Democrats having registered. While the roster lacks familiar names, the party is preparing to set the ground rules for its 2028 primary schedule.

At a meeting in Minneapolis this week, the new leadership of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) told the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee that the presidential calendar process has already commenced.

“We’re planning for meetings throughout the fall and winter and through the spring to make sure that we have a rigorous, effective and fair calendar process,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said. “We need this process to give us the strongest possible candidate, a candidate that’s battle-tested to win and ready to lead America forward.”

Which states will kick off the Democratic nominating process in 2028 has not yet been decided. The committee will meet through the fall and into 2026 to determine which states hold early contests.

Until 2020, both parties began with the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, but Democrats reshuffled the order in 2024, moving South Carolina to the leadoff spot, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Michigan. The change relegated Iowa Democrats to a mail-in caucus, which Republicans have sometimes cited as a symbolic downgrade where the state was apparently sidelined by national party leaders.

Republicans, by contrast, have kept their traditional calendar intact. Under party rules, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary remain the opening contests for 2028, preserving the longstanding sequence that has shaped Republican presidential races for decades.

Beyond the two major parties, 100 candidates have filed as unaffiliated, write-ins, or with smaller groups. These include the Ace Party (2), Libertarian Party (3), American Independent Party (4), and single entrants from parties such as the Progressive, Constitution, and One Earth parties. Another 40 list themselves as Independent.

To qualify for the presidency, an individual must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have resided in the United States for at least 14 years. Once a candidate raises or spends more than $5,000 on a campaign, federal law requires them to register with the FEC within 15 days.

In a separate development on Aug. 28, President Donald Trump floated the idea of urging the Republican National Committee (RNC) to hold an unprecedented midterm national convention in 2026 to showcase his administration’s record ahead of congressional elections.

Trump said on Truth Social the move would highlight “historic wins” and contrast Republican policies with what he called Democratic “mistakes.” An RNC spokeswoman described the proposal as an “innovative” idea to energize the GOP, though full conventions are typically reserved for presidential election years.