Ready or not, here comes Elissa Slotkin in '28

Just look at Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The Michigan Democrat has spent the past several weeks visiting the key presidential battleground states of Iowa and Ohio as she tests the waters for a 2028 run for the White House.

Slotkin, 49, told the Des Moines Register she wants to help the Democratic Party find a future path that is built around a new generation of leaders. A group she clearly believes includes herself.

"I'm not so arrogant as to think it has to be me," Slotkin said.

No, just arrogant enough to think her skimpy political resume and lack of substantive achievements during her brief time in Congress qualify her for consideration for the world's top elected position.

Slotkin went on to say, "Midterms is what I'm focused on right now, but if it comes to the point afterwards that I think there's not anyone else who's on the right path, I guess I wouldn't say no forever."

To whom is she saying no? Who is clamoring for Elissa Slotkin for president? Maybe I missed the "Draft Slotkin" movement, but before she turned up in Iowa, the first stop for anyone considering a presidential bid, the junior senator from Michigan wasn't on anyone's list of potential Democratic nominees in 2028.

Her visits to bellwether states are designed to force her name into a conversation that so far hasn't included her, and wasn't likely to without her self-promoting stunt.

Most amusing is her pretense to being a reluctant savior of the Democratic Party. She's not fooling anyone in demurring that, while she hopes she doesn't have to, if no one else will step up, she guesses she will.

Slotkin is a relentless climber. The former State Department and CIA staffer returned to Michigan in 2017 to run for Congress in a mid-Michigan district. She rode the 2018 Democratic wave to victory over incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Bishop.

She won reelection twice, and when Sen. Debbie Stabenow retired in 2024, Slotkin jumped into the race to replace her, narrowly winning in a race against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers.

Now, Slotkin has posted a trimmer, more youthful-looking official photograph and is daring to dream of the Oval Office.

Never mind that when the 2028 election comes around, she'll still be two years shy of finishing her first term in the Senate. And yes, Barack Obama had served just three years in the Senate and eight years in the Illinois Legislature before becoming president. But Elissa Slotkin is no Barack Obama.

Perhaps she's betting by the time the campaign starts in earnest, she'll have emerged as a leader in the Senate and will have put her stamp on policies that address America's substantive challenges. Maybe between now and then she'll have a chance to demonstrate a true gift for getting things done.

But that's not where she is today. Rather, today she's a competent, promising first-term senator with the potential to become ready for the position she aspires to, but not if she short-changes the preparation process. Think Thad McCotter, the former Michigan congressman who launched a premature presidential bid 15 years ago that ended poorly.

In repeating that mistake, Slotkin risks becoming just another egocentric politician who was given a job by voters and instead of doing it, she's going to spend the next two years focusing on her personal career ambitions.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Nolan Finley is conservative editorial page editor of The Detroit News.

Previously:

• 01/08/26: Artificial Intelligence is making old guys obsolete

• 12/18/25: Reiner comments suggest Trump is losing his grip

• 11/10/25: Thank the Canucks for their Reagan ad

• 02/18/25: O Canada, we don't really want you

• 02/18/25: Is Musk a Bond villain or America's salvation?

• 01/24/25: Justice and PR shouldn't mix

• 12/17/24: It wasn't Reagan, but Carter who made me a conservative

• 12/17/24: Those battlin' Republicans are back at it

• 12/11/24: There are no righteous political parties

• 12/04/24: Musk hopes to make budget cutting cool

• 11/11/24: Trump is back; blame Dems

• 10/31/24: Money isn't talking in the presidential race

• 06/25/24: Veep choice could allay fears about Trump

• 04/10/24: Migrant rhetoric matches border reality

• 03/13/24: Biden speech failed the moment

• 07/13/23: Stop feeding the Meta monster

• 12/22/22: Twitter Files expose Dem/Big Tech bond

• 04/17/22: Abortion ruling empowers states

• 04/08/22: Inflation isn't a Biden talking point

• 03/24/22: Hunter's laptop finally gets some light

• 03/03/22: Biden offers no reset

• 02/28/22:Giving up COVID, keeping mask, fist bumps

• 01/17/22:Biden, Dems roll dice on agenda

• 01/03/22: Can't hide from COVID behind jabs, masks

• 12/23/21:Manchin stood with his people in killing Biden's bill

• 11/04/21: For Dems, 'not Trump' not enough