# Democratic 2028 hopefuls outline AI regulation positions ahead of election

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-26T11:00:33Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/democratic-2028-hopefuls-outline-ai-regulation-positions-ahead-of-elec

## Summary

The Guardian surveyed where leading Democratic figures stand on AI policy as the 2028 presidential race takes shape. Vice President Kamala Harris has called for stricter federal regulations after tech executives urged a development slowdown. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order urging companies to consider a "kill switch" and has added whistleblower protections and youth safeguards. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro advocates investment with clear regulations and signed an order for stricter datacenter environmental standards. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear enacted datacenter construction rules and wants an end to taxpayer incentives. Senator Mark Kelly proposes an "AI Horizon Fund" backed by AI companies to finance worker retraining and energy infrastructure. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced legislation with Senator Bernie Sanders to temporarily halt datacenter construction until Congress sets guardrails. Representative Ro Khanna wants a US-China agreement on safety standards but opposes a datacenter moratorium. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg accuses Congress of "sitting on its hands" on AI regulation.

## Key points

- Harris and Newsom push stricter federal and state AI regulations with executive actions
- Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders propose temporary datacenter construction ban until Congress acts
- Kelly proposes AI company-funded Horizon Fund for worker retraining and energy infrastructure

## Why it matters

Early positioning by 2028 contenders signals AI regulation will be a central campaign issue, with divides over development speed, datacenter growth, and federal vs state action.

## Sources

1. [The AI debate is already shaping the 2028 election. Here’s where Democratic hopefuls stand](https://theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/26/potential-2028-democratic-presidential-candidates-ai) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-26)

Part of the developing story: [Sanders Leads Push To Ban Advanced AI](https://digestai.news/thread/uk-mps-urge-ban-on-artificial-superintelligence) (5 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Democratic 2028 hopefuls outline AI regulation positions ahead of election", 26 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/democratic-2028-hopefuls-outline-ai-regulation-positions-ahead-of-elec

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