Rahm Emanuel Covers 113 New Hampshire Miles, Fuels 2028 Talk
rahm emanuel completed a weekend 113-mile bike ride across New Hampshire, using what he called his “Spin Free” tour to keep alive speculation about a possible 2028 presidential run. The trip mixed cycling with town halls, including about 700 people across seven stops, and came after he launched a multistate series in Iowa last September.
Spin Free in New Hampshire
Emanuel said part of the trip was meant to raise money to buy bikes for children. He also told one group, “It's clear to me that you all love this country and this state.”
The New Hampshire stretch mattered because the state sits early in the presidential calendar, and Emanuel was there as a possible Democratic contender for 2028. He has not denied that he is considering a run for president, and the weekend gave that possibility a visible setting.
Axelrod Watches Emanuel
David Axelrod, a longtime Democratic strategist, said the ride and the town halls suggested Emanuel had more than a charity outing on his mind. “You don't have to be a political analyst to recognize that when a guy takes a takes a bicycle ride through New Hampshire and does five town hall meetings, that there's something on his mind,” Axelrod said.
Axelrod also said Emanuel had approached the question with care. “People who know Rahm will find this hard to believe, but he's really approached this with a lot of humility, and asked himself a lot of hard questions about whether this is the right thing for him to do, the smart thing for him to do, whether he was the right person to do it,” he said.
Rahm Emanuel's Next Decision
Emanuel framed the choice as larger than his own political future. “The real question isn't whether I'm running, it's whether I have what it takes to answer what ails America,” he said.
Axelrod expected Emanuel to decide by the end of the year, and he said he would be surprised if Emanuel ultimately stayed out of the race. Emanuel could join a crowded Democratic field for the 2028 nomination, and if Governor JB Pritzker enters, Illinois would have two candidates seeking the White House.
