Gov. Gavin Newsom of California spent his Saturday weaving through New Hampshire, campaigning with midterm candidates as he faced questions about his presidential ambitions. Next weekend, former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is weighing another White House bid, plans to be in the state with the Democratic Senate nominee. And days after that, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who is also considering a run, will appear there, too.<\/p>\n
In the final stage of this year\u2019s midterms, prospective presidential candidates are parachuting into battleground states to rally support for candidates on the ballot this fall, road-test their stump speeches, and introduce themselves to voters and activists. The Democratic schedule is especially packed in New Hampshire, an early presidential nominating state<\/a> where there is a competitive Senate race. While New Hampshire has lost its long vaunted first-in-the-nation Democratic primary status to South Carolina<\/a>, it will go third in 2028.<\/p>\n \u201cGot here last night from the most un-Trump state in the United States of America, California,\u201d Mr. Newsom told the crowd in Exeter, N.H., at a rally on Saturday with Representative Chris Pappas, the Democratic Senate nominee, as well as other Democratic candidates. His 10-minute speech focused primarily on Mr. Trump.<\/p>\n Ambitious Republicans, too, are trying to leave lasting marks across the country in this year\u2019s high-stakes elections. Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas are hitting the road for midterm candidates, including in states expected to figure prominently in the next G.O.P. presidential race.<\/p>\n In both parties, the possible presidential candidates\u2019 itineraries reflect their standings, showing where they are in demand and where they are not. At times, midterm candidates have subtly or loudly distanced themselves from some of them.<\/p>\n In other cases, midterm contenders have welcomed the extra attention and support. Mr. Newsom\u2019s trip to New Hampshire follows recent visits by Senator Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, and Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary, among others. Mr. Pappas, whose roster of surrogates from outside New Hampshire has grown, is facing former Senator John E. Sununu, a Republican.<\/p>\n \u201cI think of political campaigns like building a house. You have to build the foundation first before building the walls. That\u2019s what these visits are,\u201d said Jim Demers, a veteran New Hampshire Democratic strategist, who like other operatives refers to the current phase as the \u201cshadow primary.\u201d<\/p>\n At the town hall event in Exeter, Mr. Newsom popped out from behind a curtain, beaming as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis\u2019s \u201cCan\u2019t Hold Us\u201d played in the background. Asked about his political future, he waved his hand and said, \u201cIt\u2019s all about 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n While others similarly say they are solely focused on this year\u2019s elections, Democratic and Republican strategists see multiple purposes in these visits.<\/p>\n \u201cA campaign for president is like having an endoscopy and a colonoscopy at the same time,\u201d said Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist. \u201cA lot of candidates are truly deciding whether they want to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n Midterm travel may be especially attractive to lesser-known politicians looking to raise their national profiles, and to those who don\u2019t hold public office.<\/p>\n Mr. Buttigieg, who left his post in the Biden administration in early 2025, has endorsed more than 100 candidates this cycle and campaigned for them in more than 30 states. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky has headlined Democratic Party dinners or conventions in nine states, including several that will hold early presidential primaries. Representative Ro Khanna of California has campaigned for<\/a> more than 70 candidates.<\/p>\n Others have been more selective with their travels. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, recently campaigned<\/a> in Michigan, another early-nominating state, with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate. She plans to appear in Maine<\/a> this week with Troy Jackson, the Democratic Senate nominee there.<\/p>\n The country faces a \u201cpivotal and consequential moment,\u201d Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said in Michigan on Friday. She brushed aside speculation about her 2028 plans, saying, \u201cWhat matters right now is the next 19 days.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms. Harris also recently appeared with Dr. El-Sayed. She plans<\/a> to visit Nevada, an early-nominating state, as well as Mississippi, Georgia and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n But Senate candidates in Alaska, Iowa and Kansas have publicly and pre-emptively uninvited<\/a> Ms. Harris, whose ties to the Biden administration have made her unwelcome in some conservative-leaning states.<\/p>\n Tensions have flared in other ways. In recent weeks, Latino leaders became angry that the Democratic Governors Association, chaired by Mr. Beshear, was not investing more money into Gina Hinojosa\u2019s race for Texas governor against Greg Abbott, the Republican incumbent. They made veiled threats<\/a> to withhold their support from Mr. Beshear should he run for president in 2028.<\/p>\n Within a week, the D.G.A. made a seven-figure donation<\/a> to help elect Ms. Hinojosa.<\/p>\n Some potential presidential candidates have sought to balance their own re-elections: Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania are on the ballot in November. Mr. Shapiro recently started a federal political-action committee that enables him to give money to congressional candidates.<\/p>\n On the Republican side, Mr. Vance has campaigned in Kansas, Michigan and other battlegrounds. In Michigan on Thursday, he called<\/a> the Senate contest \u201cthe most important race in the United States of America,\u201d as he stumped for Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee.<\/p>\n Mr. Trump\u2019s sinking approval ratings have made the president and, by extension, Mr. Vance a liability for some battleground candidates, as they seek to energize the party\u2019s base voters. When Mr. Vance held a rally in Iowa last month, Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee for Senate, didn\u2019t attend<\/a>, citing scheduling conflicts.<\/p>\n Republican \u201ccandidates in swing seats want his voters, not necessarily his baggage,\u201d said Matt Klink, a Republican strategist in California, speaking of Mr. Trump.<\/p>\n Mr. Cruz, who has clashed publicly<\/a> with Mr. Vance, has raised money and campaigned in his home state of Texas for Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee in a tight contest, and visited Iowa, which has been an early Republican nominating state, among other places.<\/p>\n Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a frequent target<\/a> in Democrats\u2019 campaign attacks, has also campaigned for Republicans this cycle in Iowa and Kentucky<\/a>, a departure from past Pentagon officials who have stayed out of politics.<\/p>\n In New Hampshire, Derek Thibeault, 55, the chair of the Nashua Democratic City Committee, said he approached Mr. Newsom at an event on Saturday and asked the governor to let him know when he\u2019d be back to campaign for the White House.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gave me a big laugh, but he didn\u2019t say no,\u201d Mr. Thibeault said.<\/p>\n Andrew Sylvia contributed reporting from New Hampshire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gov. 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