The Democratic Party is lost in its own labyrinth: Kamala Harris leads the race for 2028 to the bewilderment of voters
The former vice president and loser at the polls in November is the favorite among the party's supporters, exceeding the projected sum of Buttigieg and Newsom.
Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom together at an event.
Eight months after the election, and after six months with Donald Trump in the White House, Democratic voters remain unclear where they stand. The party has still yet to implement a coordinated response to the White House's legislative hurricane. Instead, individual efforts by party leaders and, above all, the judges appointed by recent Democratic presidents are trying to slow down Trump's initiatives. Despite this, the loser of the last election, Kamala Harris, is again the leading candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
In fact, the latest poll from Echelon Insights gives the former vice president and Democratic candidate for the White House a wide majority over the next closest potential candidate, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has kept a low profile since leaving the administration. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is trying at all costs to win the support of Democratic voters for a possible venture to the presidency in three years, currently sits in third place.
Buttigieg and Newsom neck-and-neck, Booker and AOC lurking
Harris is projected 26% of the Democratic electorate if the election were held now. Far behind, Buttigieg is forecast with 11% of voters, followed closely by Newsom, with 10% of Democratic Party supporters.
Cory Booker, who notably set a record for longest filibuster with 25-hour speech in the Senate, sneaks into the top five with 7% support. Closing out the top five is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (6%), another who has been gaining momentum as a candidate, especially after her rallies with Bernie Sanders.
Newsom favored without Kamala in the equation, with AOC in third place
If Kamala is taken out of the equation, Newsom would move into first place, albeit with the same percentage of support as Buttigieg (12%). The big beneficiary would be AOC, who would jump to third place with 9% voting intention, leaving Booker behind with 7%. The fifth spot in this scenario would go to former vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Front-runners for 2028 indicate radicalization of Democratic voters
Kamala Harris was already considered the most progressive senator in her day, something she maintained as vice president and even during her candidacy, despite occasionally trying to appear somewhat more moderate.
Newsom also belongs to the furthest left wing of the Democratic Party, despite his more centrist nods in recent times, except in terms of confronting Trump.
The radicalism of the socialist and prominent "Squad" member in the House AOC need not even be mentioned.
Buttigieg is considered a "radical centrist," while Booker, perhaps the least well-known of the five, assured that "there's nothing in that realm of progressive politics where you won't find me."
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