Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is retiring at the end of his fifth term in Congress, is throwing his hat into the ring of potential Republican presidential candidates for the 2028 election cycle.
In an interview to be released in full on Friday, the congressman entertained the idea of running for president himself while leaving open the possibility that he could be someone else’s running mate.
Asked on the Our Republican Legacy podcast if he is considering running for president in two years, Bacon said, “I won’t lie. Yes, I would love to. But I would also be happy to be the right-hand man or left-hand man to someone else that has the same values.”
Bacon pointed to his Christian faith as an example of the conservative values he would want to emulate if he decided to enter the 2028 race for the White House.
“We need leadership that stands as an example of decency, humanity, and represents Christian values in the Gospels — how we’re supposed to act, the golden rule, and things like that,” he said.
The House Republican, however, hasn’t yet fully made up his mind about launching a presidential campaign.
“There’s a part of me that wants to step out and take that risk,” Bacon said. “I’m also happy to support someone who fills that role, and I can be on their team.”
“But I do definitely want to be on a team, whether I’m the lead or part of the team, fighting for these values for our country because I think the United States needs them and I think they’re looking for them,” he added.
Chris Vance, executive director of Our Republican Legacy and one of the podcast’s co-hosts, expressed excitement at Bacon’s answer that he is considering running for president.
“He is the type of principled Republican who stood up for core conservative values that we believe needs to be in this race,” Vance told the Washington Examiner. “We believe there’s absolutely a lane in 2028 for a traditional Republican like Don Bacon.”
Bacon has never run for president before. He has represented Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District in the House since 2017.
When he announced retirement last year, Bacon cited family time as the primary reason he wants to exit Congress in January 2027.
MARCO RUBIO WASN’T AT THE GOP’S MIDTERM CONVENTION. ATTENDEES LOVE HIM ANYWAY
Bacon is the latest lawmaker to float a potential 2028 presidential bid. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) recently said he would like to be one of the Republican primary candidates to have a shot at succeeding President Donald Trump.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are already considered the Republican frontrunners, but neither has confirmed whether they’re running. They will most likely wait until after the midterm elections this fall before launching a campaign or ruling out a 2028 bid.