Poll Reveals Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Pete Buttigieg Leading the 2028 Democratic Primary Race
A recent Yale Youth poll has stirred the political pot, placing Kamala Harris at the forefront of potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential election. Harris garnered 28 percent of support among registered voters, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez closely trailing at 21 percent and Pete Buttigieg securing 14 percent.
In an unexpected twist, California Governor Gavin Newsom, often touted as a serious contender, could only muster a meager six percent support, failing to break into double digits.
The pollsters noted, “A plurality of Democrats (and Democratic-leaning independents) indicated they would back former Vice President Kamala Harris (27.5%) if the Democratic primary were held today. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (21.3%) followed closely in second place, while Buttigieg held third (14%). Notably, no other Democrat surpassed the five percent mark. Among younger Democrats, the top three candidates remained unchanged, with Harris and Ocasio-Cortez enjoying even stronger backing (37.4% and 28.2%, respectively), while Buttigieg’s support dipped to 9.7%.”
Trailing Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro received five percent, while Arizona Senator Mark Kelly earned four percent. A four-way tie for seventh place included Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, all at four percent.
“Among Democrats, Harris and Ocasio-Cortez stand out with the highest favorability ratings, each around +60 net favorability. In contrast, John Fetterman and Stephen A. Smith were the only two figures tested who registered negative net favorability ratings among Democrats (-17.2 for Fetterman and -16.9 for Smith). Interestingly, young Democrats mirrored these trends but tended to view all political figures less favorably than their older counterparts.”
The Yale poll surveyed 4,100 registered voters.
