Despite losing the 2024 Electoral College and popular vote to President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris is leading among potential Democratic candidates for the 2028 presidential race, according to a survey conducted by Puck News/Echelon Insights on November 20.
The poll revealed that 41 percent of Democratic respondents would support Harris as the party’s nominee for the 2028 election, placing her at the top of the list. California Governor Gavin Newsom followed with 8 percent, while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro secured 7 percent. Shapiro had been a leading contender to be Harris’s running mate before she selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in early August.
Walz and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran in the 2020 Democratic primary, tied for fourth place with 6 percent each.
In the 2024 race, Trump has won 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226 and currently holds a 50 percent to 48.3 percent lead in the national popular vote, according to The Associated Press. While Trump’s lead in the popular vote is projected to hold, the margin is narrowing as more votes are counted in Democratic-leaning states like California, Oregon, Colorado, and New York.
Other notable Democratic contenders for 2028 include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) with 4 percent, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer with 3 percent, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who each garnered 2 percent. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Maryland Governor Wes Moore each received 1 percent support.
Approximately 16 percent of respondents were undecided, while 1 percent preferred a different candidate.
Though Harris leads in the poll, her performance in a future Democratic primary remains uncertain. She was the first to drop out of the 2020 Democratic primary, ending her campaign in December 2019 ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Her campaign strategy and messaging were criticized by some top Democrats leading into the 2024 election, particularly after record fundraising efforts and spending.
Among Republicans, Vice President-elect JD Vance topped the list for the 2028 presidential race with 37 percent support. Former 2024 candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley tied for second with 9 percent each. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed with 8 percent, while Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) each received 5 percent. Rubio is currently Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State.
The poll, which surveyed 1,010 likely voters from November 14–18, has a margin of error of 3.5 percent.
