Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) are the two Democratic candidates who would earn his vote in the 2028 presidential race.
Barkley appeared on the “Sports Illustrated Media Podcast with Jimmy Trania” last week, where he was asked to weigh in on sports commentator Stephen A. Smith’s potential bid.
“Stephen A is one of my friends, but I’m like, ‘Yo man, come on. Man stop it. Come on,’” Barkley said, noting that he thought Smith was joking when he originally said he could run if the Democratic Party didn’t have a better candidate.
Barkley criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as a “awful running mate” for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent election, but argued that Democrats lost the election “fair and square.”
“If the Democrats don’t get Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania or Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, if they are not the leader or the team up for the Democratic Party, I would not even consider voting for anybody else other than one of those two,” Barkley said.
Barkley, an independent voter, argued that if the Democratic Party chooses another candidate outside of Shapiro or Moore, it would lose his support forever.
His remarks come as Smith, an ESPN commentator, has ramped up his talk about running in the Democratic primary for the next presidential election.
As the party grapples with its 2024 losses and looks for someone new to lead, Smith has expressed interest in combating the Trump administration and GOP influence in the 2028 race.
Smith hasn’t said he would run, but his criticism of the Democratic Party and enthusiasm for a new leader have signaled he may jump in when the time comes, even as he’s considered to be somewhat of a political outsider.
Shapiro was rumored to have been in the running for Harris’s running mate in the 2024 election, but he ultimately was not chosen and said he would like to continue serving the state of Pennsylvania.
After the election, he’s being eyed as a competitive candidate in the 2028 primary. He has high approval ratings in his state. He’s also pro-Israel and may be viewed as a more center-left option for the party.
Moore has also been highlighted as someone people think should run. He was an avid supporter of former President Biden and has guided Maryland through the recovery efforts after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last year. As a veteran, he’s been viewed as a contender should he choose to run.
Barkley said he thought both Shapiro and Moore were “amazing” candidates but cautioned that if the party doesn’t pick one of them, his support would disappear.
“If they don’t get Wes Moore or Josh Shapiro, I’m not voting for any Democrat other than those two,” he reiterated.
