NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. — Rahm Emanuel, 66, completed a three-day bicycle ride across New Hampshire on Sunday, raising more than $26,000 for a children’s charity as he made an aggressive early pitch for a potential 2028 Democratic presidential bid. The former White House chief of staff, Chicago mayor and ambassador to Japan used the trip to highlight his physical fitness and to advocate for a mandatory retirement age of 75 for presidents and federal officials.
Emanuel, who has said he won’t announce his intentions until after November’s midterm elections, is likely to be one of the oldest candidates in the 2028 field from either party if he enters the race. The former congressman has a long résumé, but his more centrist instincts and age are potential strikes against him in a party that has moved leftward and faces calls for younger leaders, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the trip.
The next presidential election will test whether Americans are looking for a younger leader, after former President Joe Biden’s age-related political collapse in 2024 damaged the Democratic Party and as President Trump shows signs of aging ahead of his 80th birthday on June 14.
Age is central to Emanuel’s pitch. Earlier this year, he called for a mandatory retirement age of 75 for presidents, cabinet officials, members of Congress and federal judges. Applying that standard to himself, he would only be able to serve one full term as president if elected in 2028.
It was the third trip to New Hampshire this year for Emanuel, who has said he won’t announce his intentions until after November’s midterm elections. Besides a likely early slot on the 2028 nomination calendar, the state allows independent voters to participate in primaries and they could provide one of Emanuel’s best veins of support.
Unbound by elected office, Emanuel is arguably the most aggressive early campaigner among prospective 2028 candidates. He also is trying to make his mark in the so-called ideas primary as he works to push Democrats in a more moderate direction.
Fond of saying he weighs “148 pounds dripping wet,” Emanuel is an avid cyclist. He biked around Lake Michigan — a nearly 1,000-mile ride through four states — in May 2019 after finishing his City Hall job and undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus a few months earlier.
“The worse the cellphone service was, the nicer people were,” Emanuel said of the trip around the lake, as he spoke to a gathering of more than 100 Democrats inside a barn on Thursday evening.
In an interview, Emanuel said he has had no major health issues, other than losing part of his middle finger in a meat slicer while working at Arby’s in high school. A severe infection led to a hospitalization, which in turn spurred his fitness fixation.
“The Oval Office is the ultimate ultramarathon, physically, and if you are not in shape it can grind you down,” he said.
Generational change may be something some voters will value, Emanuel conceded, but he argued strength of personality and experience will also be sought.
Aboard his Cannondale bicycle, purchased from a New Hampshire shop, Emanuel was scheduled Sunday to complete his three-day journey from east to west across the state, with 113 of those miles pedaled. He was joined by Richard Mintz, a longtime friend and former Clinton administration official who also rode with him around Lake Michigan.
Using social media and other appeals, Emanuel raised more than $26,000 from the ride. The money, enough for about 130 bicycles, will be donated to a New Hampshire nonprofit that gives bikes to children.
Along the route, there were periodic stops at local businesses and preplanned gatherings at homes and other locations where Emanuel spoke and answered questions from voters.
Democrat Eric Spear, a 56-year-old software company owner, asked him to sum up in “two to four words” who he is, giving former President Bill Clinton’s signature “I feel your pain” as one example.
After doing his best Clinton impersonation, Emanuel’s answer was 10 words: “Tells you the truth even when he’s not supposed to.”
Asked later about the answer, Spear said it was “too many words.” But he also said he would contemplate supporting Emanuel in the 2028 New Hampshire primary, if he is on the ballot.
After answering Spear’s question, Emanuel pivoted to his experience in government and business, as well as his view that the Democratic Party spends too much time on gender identity issues.
“I know what to do in the classroom issues, the boardroom, the breakroom and the Situation Room,” he said. “And I want our party to get out of the bathroom.”
When another voter asked him if he was planning to run, Emanuel responded he is “thinking really hard about it.”
Throughout the trip, Emanuel sold himself as a truth teller also willing to give Republicans credit when it is due. He cited energy infrastructure.
“Texas has done a pretty good job,” he said. “Outside of China, who is leading in batteries, solar and wind installations? Texas. And they’ve got more natural gas than you can believe.”
He added: “I’m a former ballet dancer. I’m the most flexible guy you’ll find.”
At a house party in Manchester, N.H., Emanuel made clear 2028 could be his last campaign and suggested that brings a certain level of candor.
“I’m at a point in my life that I’m not going to tell you what I think you want to hear,” he said. “I’m going to tell you what you need to know. And either you are going to support it, or I’m going to go fly fishing and enjoy the rest of my life.”
Several Democratic voters along the way said they are not concerned about his age.
Santi DeOleo, a 45-year-old media content creator from Hollis, N.H., said the bike ride “sets a foundation for someone who is healthy and strong enough to run.” He praised Emanuel for his “no BS” presentation.
Rik Cornell, a 72-year-old retiree who attended the gathering in Manchester, said he doesn’t think Emanuel is too old. Still, he acknowledged “age is an issue” for many in his party and “there comes a time when the younger generation needs to take its turn.”
Brian Williams, a 37-year-old who oversees pharmaceutical manufacturing and lives in Hopkinton, N.H., said that among the early 2028 prospective field for his party he is most interested in Emanuel, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Williams said he is not worried about age for any of the candidates in the prospective field because they all are a decade or more younger than the two most recent presidents. “It’s a balance between experience and being in touch with issues younger people face,” he said.