Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has emerged as the early favorite in a hypothetical and notably crowded 2028 Democratic presidential primary, according to a new national survey.
The former Biden administration official, who was a prominent contender for the Democratic nomination and won the Iowa Caucus in 2020, registered 18% support, edging out California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 16%, according to Just The News, citing the Emerson College Poll. Such numbers underscore how quickly the Democratic bench is looking beyond the current White House, even as the partys leadership continues to lean on aging incumbents.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez placed third with 11%, while former Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro were tied at 10% each. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear followed closely at 9%, highlighting a fractured field in which no single figure commands majority enthusiasm among Democrat voters.
The survey, conducted May 2425, showed a modest uptick for Buttigieg, Ocasio-Cortez, Shapiro and Beshear. By contrast, Harris and Newsomlong treated by liberal commentators as presumptive heirs to national leadershipregistered a slight decline, suggesting grassroots unease with the partys current direction.
Emerson College Polling surveyed 1,000 likely voters with a 3% credibility interval, a measure comparable to a traditional margin of error. The poll also included 432 likely Democratic voters, with a credibility interval of 4.7%, indicating that even within the partys own ranks, support is splintered among progressive and establishment factions.
For conservatives, the data hint at a Democratic Party still searching for a coherent post-Biden identity, torn between hard-left figures like Ocasio-Cortez and more conventional technocrats such as Buttigieg. As the GOP continues to rally around President Donald Trumps America First agenda, Democrats appear poised for an internal struggle over whether to double down on progressive policies or attempt a late pivot back toward the political center.
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