Hutzell: Wes Moore vs. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland’s 2028 presidential contenders

A day.

That’s how much time I got to enjoy the reminder that democracy still works, that President Donald Trump and his Republican allies are not untouchable and that the USA is still capable of throwing the bums out.

“Enjoy American democracy at work,” U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said.

Then we started talking about the 2028 presidential campaign. It began Wednesday.

“I am very actively kicking the tires on the 2028 presidential race,” the two-term Democrat said.

I had just asked Van Hollen if he would seek to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate majority leader in January. Van Hollen recently said he won’t support anyone for leadership in the new Congress who doesn’t get behind a progressive agenda.

But that person won’t be Chris Van Hollen.

“You can’t do both, and so that’s what I’m actively looking at,” he said, “kicking the tires. I’m not seeking the Democratic leadership position.”

Wait, wait, wait.

Van Hollen said he was mulling a run back in June, and used the exact same kicking phrase. I remember reading that and thinking, huh, he’d make an excellent majority leader.

But president?

Now, by ruling out a powerful job that is probably within his reach — Van Hollen represents the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, Schumer the moderate — he really is committing. Or at least kicking.

Has Van Hollen spoken to Gov. Wes Moore about this?

Everyone with a screen knows that Moore is kicking his own presidential tires. He’s still coy about it, but his failure to commit to a full second term during the campaign was a turn signal hardly anyone missed.

No, the two have not talked about their shared interest.

“As you know, he was focused on his reelection,” Van Hollen said. “I was also focused on helping people get elected: Democrats here in Maryland, including Gov. Moore’s re-election, but also around the country.”

Whenever it happens, and surely it someday must, I imagine their conversation might go like this.

Hey, I heard you’re ...

Yeah, you too, right?

Well, wow. Isn’t that a coincidence?

Sure is. Sure is. Hey, I can recommend a great little place for Mexican in Charleston.

Maryland has produced two serious candidates for president before in the same election. OK, maybe proto-candidates. And maybe Moore gets more buzz than Van Hollen.

The last time this happened was in 2016, when Gov. Martin O’Malley gave it a shot in the Democratic primary. Pioneering Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson ran as a Republican.

And don’t forget Brock C. Hutton. The retired Maryland lawyer was on the New Hampshire ballot with O’Malley, though the governor dropped out before the first votes. Good thing, because he finished more than 100,000 votes behind the winners.

Hutton, gosh, didn’t do as well.

I asked a Moore campaign spokesman if the governor has any thoughts on Van Hollen’s presidential musings. Above his pay grade.

Kicking tires — an idiom that uses buying a car as a metaphor for pondering a decision — means the senator is talking to people. He’s seeing who shares his values, who wants to ride shotgun on Van Hollen for President (let’s keep the automotive imagery going).

He’s been to South Carolina, the first Democratic primary in 2028, Iowa, New Hampshire and New Mexico. He’s raised funds for successful progressive candidates, done podcasts and talked, talked, talked. That’s kicking tires.

“I talked about the future of the Democratic Party, making the point that it’s not enough for us to let people know what we’re against,” Van Hollen said. “We need to show people what we’re fighting for, and that’s what this moment right now is all about.”

Moore, meanwhile, has been busy winning a second term and reshaping the Maryland Democratic Party.

He campaigned across the state, drove Question 3 — giving state lawmakers wider power to redraw congressional boundaries — to approval, expanded the party’s General Assembly majority and altered outcomes in several counties.

Like Van Hollen, Moore has traveled the political map. He’s been to early primary states including South Carolina, Nevada and Virginia. He’s spent time in trending blue battlegrounds like Georgia and North Carolina.

Both men are fixtures of the political talk-show circuit, appearing often on “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation,” “State of the Union,” “Squawk Box” and “Morning Joe.”

Both are thoughtful leaders, but have different styles. The governor’s speeches can border on sermons, Van Hollen leans into debate champ. Both seem genuinely happy to see you, but Moore is a hugger.

Moore now returns to the dreary work of running Maryland, figuring out a state budget gap, rebuilding the Key Bridge and continuing to diversify the economy.

Van Hollen turns to that progressive agenda in Washington, ending Trump’s war with Iran, providing tax relief to working people and making the rich pay a fair share.

That includes a wealth tax on billionaires, he said, moving toward Medicare for All and stopping CEOs like Elon Musk from pumping millions into federal elections to influence which companies earn billions from federal contracts.

It means holding Trump figures accountable for cashing in on his presidency. And it means removing administration members who’ve broken the law. First up may be outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“I certainly believe that Secretary Hegseth has broken laws, broken trust with the American people, and I’ve long called for him to be removed from office,” Van Hollen said. “He certainly needs to resign or be removed.”

Van Hollen agreed that it’s OK to feel joy at Tuesday’s remarkable outcome.

“This election belonged to all the American patriots who never gave up on our country, even in the dark days of the last two years,” he said.

We have reached the middle of Trump’s destructive time at the center of the American stage. Plenty of outrages lie ahead.

It’s unclear whether Moore or Van Hollen has a chance to replace him. But the rest of the story begins now.