Rhode Island Democrat Gina Raimondo Talks 2028 White House Bid

Rhode Island's first female governor, Gina Raimondo, is considering running for President of the United States in 2028.

Should she enter the race, Raimondo would join what is expected to be a crowded field of Democrats vying for their party's nomination to challenge whomever the Republicans select to succeed Donald Trump, who cannot legally seek another term.

The 54-year-old Raimondo could face off for the nomination against her friend and fellow governor, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, who is also said to be thinking about 2028. Healey must win re-election next year to be considered a credible presidential candidate.

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Raimondo served as Secretary of Commerce under former President Joe Biden, after interviewing for vice president, a position that went to Kamala Harris. She resigned as Rhode Island's governor after six years to join the Biden administration.

In one of her less-than-stellar moments as governor, Raimondo stationed Rhode Island State Police and soldiers from the Rhode Island National Guard on I-95 and the Newport Bridge to stop folks from New York from entering Rhode Island during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN reported Raimondo had intended to send State Police and National Guard personnel "door to door' in coastal communities, asking people if they'd been to New York and requesting their contact information." New York was perceived as a hotbed for COVID-19.

Even the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union called Raimondo's roadblocks "a dangerous intrusion on civil liberties that cannot be justified on public health grounds."

Total ridicule and better judgment resulted in Raimondo changing those plans.

Providence-based WJAR-TV reported Raimondo recently spoke with David Axelrod at a forum in Chicago and answered "yes" when asked if she was considering a White House bid.

Raimondo reportedly said some issues would have to be considered and clarified before she would commit to running.

WJAR reported that Raimondo told Axelrod, "If I think there's a big way for me to serve again, including running, I'll do it. If I thought somebody else would be better or better able to win, I'll get behind that person in a minute."