For Rising Democrats, the Quiet Race to Lead the Party Began Months Ago

In Texas, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan paid homage to Beyoncé, a Houston native, and told a room full of Democratic activists about the party’s successes in her state.

In Georgia, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania spoke at a storied Atlanta church where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, introducing himself as a fellow person of faith.

And as early voting began in Nevada, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois was in the state, rallying with union members and attending a block party in support of abortion rights.

Democrats didn’t have a competitive presidential primary race this year, the kind of contest that could have propelled state leaders to national stardom and forced a robust discussion about the direction of the party.

But as up-and-coming Democrats blanketed the country — campaigning for the presidential ticket, promoting down-ballot candidates, working the national fund-raising and cable news circuits — many of them also managed to quietly develop bigger platforms, broader networks and a batch of new admirers across some of the country’s most politically important states.

Such advantages will help determine who has outsize influence in the debate over the beleaguered party’s future — and who generates the most buzz in the earliest stages of the next presidential race.