Former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo isn’t ruling out a run for president in 2028.
Asked by David Axelrod during an event Tuesday at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics whether she was considering a top-of-the-ticket campaign in three years, Raimondo answered directly, and succinctly: “yes”
“I care deeply about this country, I’ve dedicated 15 years to public service and if I think there’s a big way for me to serve again including running, I’ll do it,” Raimondo told Axelrod during the live audience event, a clip from which was posted by Axelrod to X.
“But I also, if I thought somebody else would be better, or better able to win, I’d get behind that person in a minute.”
Her comments come months after she left her job as U.S. Department of Commerce secretary, which she held for nearly four years under former President Joe Biden. Prior to her ascendance to Biden’s cabinet, Raimondo served six years as Rhode Island governor, the first woman in the state’s top leadership role.
A former venture capitalist, Raimondo garnered a reputation for a pragmatic approach and moderate ideology, with a focus on economic development.
The Smithfield native and LaSalle Academy graduate returned to her home state Monday morning to attend the funeral Mass in celebration for the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. In an interview after the Mass, Raimondo confirmed she is still living in D.C., though she plans to return to Rhode Island after her son graduates high school in June.
Since leaving the federal administration in January, Raimondo has joined the Council on Foreign Relations in D.C. as a distinguished fellow and co-chair of a task force on economic security.
In 2020, her name surfaced on a short list of candidates under consideration to serve as Joe Biden’s vice president, and again in 2024 for the vice president slot on a ticket with Kamala Harris.
Her appearance with Axelrod was billed as a conversation about “all things capital and commerce,” including AI, tariffs and the United States’ economic relationship with China. But Raimondo also addressed the challenges that lie ahead for the Democratic Party to regain control in D.C., along with remarks on the media landscape and higher education, according to news coverage of the event.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
