ELECTION MADNESS ’28Bracket the ballot.

Hypothetical Season · The Qualifier

100 names.
32 spots.
You pick.

Nobody has declared for 2028 yet — so this bracket is hypothetical, and the public decides who belongs in it. Every week, two groups of four. Your comment is your vote.

Get the Monday matchupVote on Instagram
—until the Selection Show · Sun Feb 7, 2027 · 7 PM CT

This week's groups

Week 1 of 12 · Oct 5 – 11 · voting closes Sunday 9 PM CT

Blue · Group 1Oct 5 – 11
  1. J.B. Pritzker Governor, Illinois
  2. Raphael Warnock U.S. Senator, Georgia
  3. Beto O'Rourke Former U.S. Rep., Texas
  4. Maura Healey Governor, Massachusetts
Red · Group 1Oct 5 – 11
  1. Nikki Haley Former U.N. Ambassador
  2. Rick Scott U.S. Senator, Florida
  3. Mike Lee U.S. Senator, Utah
  4. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Health and Human Services Secretary

Percentages are each name's share of counted comments. One counted comment per account.

Standings

Blue side

First results land Sunday, Oct 11.

Red side

First results land Sunday, Oct 11.

Schedule

WeekDatesBlue groupRed group
1Oct 5 – 11J.B. Pritzker +3 Nikki Haley +3Upcoming
2Oct 12 – 18Cory Booker +3 Vivek Ramaswamy +3Upcoming
3Oct 19 – 25Gavin Newsom +3 Tim Scott +3Upcoming
4Oct 26 – Nov 1Pete Buttigieg +3 Josh Hawley +3Upcoming
5Nov 2 – 8Andy Beshear +3 Donald Trump Jr. +3Upcoming
6Nov 9 – 15Gretchen Whitmer +3 Greg Abbott +3Upcoming
7Nov 16 – 22Ruben Gallego +3 Ron DeSantis +3Upcoming
8Nov 23 – 29Josh Shapiro +3 Ted Cruz +3Upcoming
9Nov 30 – Dec 6Mark Kelly +3 Brian Kemp +3Upcoming
10Dec 7 – 13Wes Moore +3 JD Vance +3Upcoming
11Dec 14 – 20Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez +3 Marco Rubio +3Upcoming
12Dec 21 – 27Kamala Harris +3 Glenn Youngkin +3Upcoming
  1. Launch & write-insOct 1 – 4, 2026

    Launch posts go up. The two most-requested write-ins per side join the field.

  2. Group stageOct 5 – Dec 27, 2026

    12 weeks. One Blue and one Red group per week; each vote runs Monday to Sunday. Group winner qualifies.

  3. Play-inJan 4 – 10, 2027

    The two write-ins on each side go head to head.

  4. Bubble WeeksJan 11 – 24, 2027

    Top 7 runners-up plus the play-in winner, head to head. Four wildcards per side.

  5. Seeding SeriesJan 25 – 31, 2027

    Power polls rank the 16 qualifiers per side.

  6. Selection ShowSun Feb 7, 2027, 7 PM CT

    Live on Instagram. Both hypothetical brackets revealed.

  7. Hypothetical bracketFeb 15 – Apr 5, 2027

    Week-long games. Champion crowned Apr 5, the night of the NCAA title game.

  8. Lock Watch → Season 1As candidates declare

    Declared candidates get LOCKED. When the real fields are set, Season 1 runs on the 2028 primary calendar.

The 100

48 names per side from public 2028 watch lists, plus 2 write-ins chosen by our followers. Groups were set by random draw.

Blue side

Heavyweights · 12

  • Gavin NewsomGovernor, California
  • Kamala HarrisFormer Vice President
  • Alexandria Ocasio-CortezU.S. Rep., New York
  • Josh ShapiroGovernor, Pennsylvania
  • Pete ButtigiegFormer Transportation Secretary
  • Gretchen WhitmerGovernor, Michigan
  • J.B. PritzkerGovernor, Illinois
  • Andy BeshearGovernor, Kentucky
  • Wes MooreGovernor, Maryland
  • Cory BookerU.S. Senator, New Jersey
  • Mark KellyU.S. Senator, Arizona
  • Ruben GallegoU.S. Senator, Arizona

Contenders · 12

  • Ro KhannaU.S. Rep., California
  • Elissa SlotkinU.S. Senator, Michigan
  • Chris MurphyU.S. Senator, Connecticut
  • Jared PolisGovernor, Colorado
  • Raphael WarnockU.S. Senator, Georgia
  • Amy KlobucharU.S. Senator, Minnesota
  • Jon OssoffU.S. Senator, Georgia
  • Chris Van HollenU.S. Senator, Maryland
  • Roy CooperFormer Governor, North Carolina
  • Rahm EmanuelFormer Ambassador to Japan
  • Phil MurphyFormer Governor, New Jersey
  • Mitch LandrieuFormer Mayor, New Orleans

Long shots · 24

  • Bernie SandersU.S. Senator, Vermont
  • Jasmine CrockettU.S. Rep., Texas
  • Mark CubanEntrepreneur
  • Stephen A. SmithESPN commentator
  • John FettermanU.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
  • Andy KimU.S. Senator, New Jersey
  • Josh SteinGovernor, North Carolina
  • Sherrod BrownFormer U.S. Senator, Ohio
  • Gina RaimondoFormer Commerce Secretary
  • Hakeem JeffriesHouse Democratic Leader
  • Jeff JacksonAttorney General, North Carolina
  • James TalaricoTexas state Representative
  • Adam SchiffU.S. Senator, California
  • Jamie RaskinU.S. Rep., Maryland
  • Tammy DuckworthU.S. Senator, Illinois
  • Maura HealeyGovernor, Massachusetts
  • Mallory McMorrowMichigan state Senator
  • Beto O'RourkeFormer U.S. Rep., Texas
  • Dean PhillipsFormer U.S. Rep., Minnesota
  • Marianne WilliamsonAuthor, past candidate
  • Jon TesterFormer U.S. Senator, Montana
  • Josh GreenGovernor, Hawaii
  • Jon StewartComedian, Daily Show host
  • Kathy HochulGovernor, New York

Write-ins · 2

  • Write-in #1Picked by comments, Oct 1–4
  • Write-in #2Picked by comments, Oct 1–4

Red side

Heavyweights · 12

  • JD VanceVice President
  • Marco RubioSecretary of State
  • Ron DeSantisGovernor, Florida
  • Donald Trump Jr.Businessman
  • Nikki HaleyFormer U.N. Ambassador
  • Glenn YoungkinFormer Governor, Virginia
  • Brian KempGovernor, Georgia
  • Ted CruzU.S. Senator, Texas
  • Josh HawleyU.S. Senator, Missouri
  • Vivek RamaswamyEntrepreneur
  • Greg AbbottGovernor, Texas
  • Tim ScottU.S. Senator, South Carolina

Contenders · 12

  • Byron DonaldsU.S. Rep., Florida
  • Elise StefanikU.S. Rep., New York
  • Sarah Huckabee SandersGovernor, Arkansas
  • Rand PaulU.S. Senator, Kentucky
  • Tom CottonU.S. Senator, Arkansas
  • Tulsi GabbardDirector of National Intelligence
  • Pete HegsethSecretary of Defense
  • Kristi NoemFormer Homeland Security Secretary
  • Rick ScottU.S. Senator, Florida
  • Mike BraunGovernor, Indiana
  • Thomas MassieFormer U.S. Rep., Kentucky
  • Greg BovinoFormer Border Patrol commander

Long shots · 24

  • Royce WhiteFormer NBA player
  • Steve BannonFormer White House strategist
  • Tucker CarlsonMedia host
  • Marjorie Taylor GreeneFormer U.S. Rep., Georgia
  • Kari LakeFormer Arizona TV anchor
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Health and Human Services Secretary
  • Doug BurgumInterior Secretary
  • Chris SununuFormer Governor, New Hampshire
  • Mike PenceFormer Vice President
  • Katie BrittU.S. Senator, Alabama
  • Jim JordanU.S. Rep., Ohio
  • Mike JohnsonSpeaker of the House
  • Kevin StittGovernor, Oklahoma
  • Spencer CoxGovernor, Utah
  • Jeff LandryGovernor, Louisiana
  • Matt GaetzFormer U.S. Rep., Florida
  • Eric TrumpTrump Organization executive
  • Nancy MaceU.S. Rep., South Carolina
  • Mike LeeU.S. Senator, Utah
  • Liz CheneyFormer U.S. Rep., Wyoming
  • Dave PortnoyBarstool Sports founder
  • Ben CarsonFormer HUD Secretary
  • Eric SchmittU.S. Senator, Missouri
  • Lara TrumpMedia host

Write-ins · 2

  • Write-in #1Picked by comments, Oct 1–4
  • Write-in #2Picked by comments, Oct 1–4

How it works

1 · Your comment is your vote

Comment one name from the group plus a reason on that group's Instagram post. One counted comment per account. Voting runs Monday 10 AM to Sunday 9 PM CT.

2 · One survives

The name with the biggest share of counted comments wins the group and qualifies. Runners-up go to the bubble race for four wildcards per side.

3 · Lock Watch

When someone formally announces a 2028 run they get a LOCKED tag. If they rule it out, they're marked OUT. When the real fields are set, Season 1 runs on the 2028 primary calendar.

Counting rules. Accounts under 30 days old or with no posts don't count. A group with a sudden flood of comments is reviewed before it's final. Ties go to the most-liked argument.

Corrections. If we get a fact wrong, we fix the card and pin the correction.

This is a fan game, not a poll. The score measures who shows up to argue. Election Madness is not affiliated with any party, campaign, or the NCAA.