Gov. Josh Green told NBC News he is considering a 2028 campaign for president of the United States with a possible platform of healing the nation after the bitterly divisive era of American politics that has consumed the country.
“Among governors, I think there are probably eight to 10 of us who are elevating in the public dialogue,” Green told NBC News over the weekend while attending the National Governors Association summer meeting in Colorado. “I haven’t made up my mind about what the future holds. I would be honored to help whomever. I might even become a potential candidate, but only if I’ve actually done a good job.”
“I believe we’re going to have to heal this country in 2028 — and maybe beyond, because there’s a lot of conflict that’s been going on, and not just during the Trump era,” NBC quoted Green as saying. “So someone may want a healer.”
Green told the Honolulu Star-
Advertiser in a written statement Thursday that he is focused “on serving as Hawaii’s Governor, running for re-election next year, and being an effective advocate to help heal our country.”
“As the only physician Governor, it has become my responsibility to work on national health issues for our state and the 49 others. Many of the nation’s Governors, Democratic and Republican, and sometimes even the administration are asking me to help in the national health policy space as we navigate this uncertain time,” Green said. “I suspect several of these Governor colleagues and good friends will run for President in 2028. I hope to be here at home for a long time.”
Green has developed a national profile and has lobbied Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration on an array of national issues relevant to Hawaii, including how to handle the $50 billion rural health fund.
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“When I think about who our next President should be, I do feel very strongly it should be someone who can unite us and heal the wounds that have resulted from a very traumatic era for so many,” Green said Thursday.
At the same meeting where he told NBC News about his possible presidential aspirations, Green was elected to the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee.
Green is serving as the Western Governors’ Association vice chair, and on
July 1, he is scheduled to become the fourth Hawaii governor to serve as WGA chair. Gov. George Ariyoshi was WGA’s first chair in 1985; Gov. Ben Cayetano served as chair in 2000, and Gov. David Ige was chair in 2019.
In a Monday news release, Green said national leadership roles allow him to advocate for the people of Hawaii “on a broader stage.”
“Whether it’s securing support for climate resilience, elevating access to healthcare, or strengthening our economy, I’m committed to working across the aisle with my fellow governors to deliver real results,” Green said Monday. “Bipartisan collaboration isn’t just possible — it’s necessary. Hawaii has unique challenges and opportunities and our voice will help shape the national approach to some of the most urgent issues we all face.”
He testified against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to serve as Health and Human Services secretary and has met with Trump to advocate for Hawaii funding and initiatives.
Key administration officials tasked Green to find positive, bipartisan ways to navigate current health care challenges.
In January, he started the Heal America PAC, headquartered at 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE in Washington, D.C. Between January and June 30, the PAC raised $192,818, according to the Federal Election Commission.
The PAC website’s landing page features a picture of Green in blue scrubs, crouching before a shirtless child in diapers in what appears to be a homeless encampment, a stethoscope pressed to the child’s chest.
Green’s PAC “supports leaders and ideas that make our country healthier and safer — including transformative approaches to housing, healthcare, homelessness, gun violence, and climate.”
“We are working to find new solutions to ensure that every American can afford housing and healthcare, and live in a safe and healthy community,” reads the PAC’s mission statement.
Green, who started practicing medicine in Hawaii in rural communities on Hawaii island, has a 63% approval rating among Hawaii’s registered Democratic, Republican and independent voters, placing him in a tie for the fifth-most-popular governor in the nation, according to the results of a voter survey released by Morning Consult Pro on July 16.
The Morning Consult Pro survey, conducted from April through June, found Green’s disapproval rating has fallen to 27% from 37% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Among Hawaii Democrats, Green had a 77% approval rating, followed by 57% from independents, according to the latest survey. Among Hawaii Republicans, Green had a disapproval rating of 51% and a 46% approval rating.
Green is expected to make a formal announcement about his gubernatorial reelection campaign in the spring. He served in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate from 2004 to 2018 before winning election as lieutenant governor.
In 2022, Green was elected Hawaii’s ninth governor.
Raised in Pittsburgh, Green attended Swarthmore College before earning degrees in biology and anthropology. He received his medical degree from Penn State.
Green and his wife, Jaime, were married in 2006 and have two children. The next Hawaii gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.