Two potential 2028 Democratic presidential primary candidates, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and California Rep. Ro Khanna, will headline aDemocratic Mayors Association summit in Cleveland in July. The summit, themed ‘Community Over Chaos: A Path Forward,’ aims to showcase the efforts of mayors to hold the Trump administration accountable and demonstrate the effectiveness of local government. The event will feature prominent figures including Beshear, Khanna, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bib, the president of the Democratic Mayors Association and current mayor of Cleveland. The summit is expected to be the first year that the association’s national summit will be open to the public and press, marking a shift in its approach to public engagement. The timing of the summit comes at a time when Democratic mayors, particularly those of large cities, have found themselves under scrutiny from the Trump administration.
Bibb, speaking to POLITICO, expressed his excitement about hosting the event in Cleveland, stating that it will be a showcase of the work being done by Democratic mayors and how local government can still work for the people. Despite the chaos in Washington, Bibb emphasized that mayors continue to find solutions and deliver results. The summit is part of Bibb’s vision for the association to play a more aggressive and vocal role than in previous years. This gathering will also include DNC Chair Ken Martin, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, and current Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown.
Beshear and Khanna are both actively preparing for potential presidential runs. Beshear has hired a former spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and has started a podcast this spring. Khanna has been on a nonstop tour of media hits and party events, further solidifying his profile as a potential presidential candidate. The summit is a strategic move for both candidates to build a network of support and engage with key surrogates in the Democratic Party. However, the event also comes at a time when Ohio, a state that has traditionally been a swing state, has drifted even further away from Democrats in recent years. Brown, a longtime senator who has maintained his seat despite the state’s shift to red, was recently defeated in the last election cycle by President Donald Trump, who won the state by 11 percentage points.
The summit serves as a platform for Democratic mayors to present their vision for the future of local governance and to challenge the policies of the Trump administration. The event’s emphasis on ‘community over chaos’ underscores the mayors’ commitment to addressing the challenges facing their cities while promoting cooperation and public service. As the Democratic Party looks to prepare for a potential presidential election in 2028, such summits and gatherings are essential for building a strong and unified base among its leaders. The involvement of high-profile figures like Beshear and Khanna highlights the importance of these events in shaping the narrative around the Democratic Party’s future direction.