Kamala Harris’ Hold on 2028 Nomination Is Slipping: Poll
2 days ago
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ hold on the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination is slipping, according to a new poll.
Newsweek reached out to Harris’ team for comment via her online press contact form.
Why It Matters
Despite her loss in the 2024 presidential race, Harris is viewed as a top contender for the 2028 election, which will likely see a crowded field of Democrats vying for the party’s nomination. Harris hasn’t said for sure she plans to run, and she is also speculated to be considering a run for California’s governorship in 2026.
Proponents of a Harris 2028 run say she ran a good campaign despite difficult headwinds in 2024. They argue she significantly narrowed the gap compared to former President Joe Biden, who faced a flurry of bad polls after his debate against Trump that eventually led to his withdrawal from the race, in only a few months.
Others, however, argue that it’s time for the party to embrace new leaders, and that her support for moderate Republicans, such as former Representative Liz Cheney, has cost the party among key voter groups.
What to Know
A new poll from Data for Progress found that while Harris is still favored among likely Democratic primary voters, a growing number are leaning toward other candidates such as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York or Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers 88th National Convention in Houston, Texas on July 25, 2024. Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers 88th National Convention in Houston, Texas on July 25, 2024. Montinique Monroe/Getty Images
It polled 745 likely voters from April 9 to April 14, 2025. Its margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Of those, 18 percent said they would vote for Harris in the primary. Fourteen percent said they would back Buttigieg and 12 percent would vote for each Ocasio-Cortez and Booker.
Buttigieg opted not to run for statewide office in Michigan, fueling speculation he’s planning another go at the presidency. Ocasio-Cortez has been garnering attention with her “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent. Booker, meanwhile, made headlines with his 25-hours speech on the floor of the Senate.
Eight percent of respondents said they planned to vote for California Governor Gavin Newsom, while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro won support from 5 percent of respondents.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker each received the backing of four percent of respondents.
This was Harris’ weakest showing among other polls of the 2028 primary.
An Echelon Insights poll of 449 registered voters from April 10 to April 11, 2025, showed her with 28 percent support. A YouGov poll of 650 registered voters from March 30 to April 1, 2025, showed her with 25 percent. A SurveyUSA poll of 835 likely voters from February 13 to 16, 2025, showed her with 37 percent support.
The poll was first reported by Zeteo, a news outlet founded by progressive commentator Medhi Hasan.
What People Are Saying
The Zeteo report of the poll reads: “Together, the poll indicates a Democratic Party that has no clear frontrunner for the 2028 nomination. Even with Harris included, no candidate holds a dominant lead – a contrast with other surveys that have shown her far ahead. And when Harris is excluded, the field opens up further, with Buttigieg, Booker, and Ocasio-Cortez emerging as three of the top choices. These results suggest that media-savvy Democrats who seize this moment to call out Trump and the MAGA agenda could put themselves in a strong position to become the next leader of the Democratic Party.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking about her plans earlier this year while visiting sites impacted by the Los Angeles-area wildfires: “My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them…I am here and would be here regardless of the office I hold, because it is the right thing to do, which is to show up in your community and thank the folks who are on the ground.”
What Happens Next
Most candidates are unlikely to jump into the race until after the 2026 midterms, but speculation will continue about who is likely to run. Harris could make a decision about whether to run in California by the end of the summer.
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