Kamala Harris once-vaunted prospects for 2028 are rapidly evaporating as grassroots progressives signal they are ready to move on.
According to the New York Post, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) has suddenly emerged as the new darling of the Democratic left, easily winning a 2028 presidential straw poll at the Crooked Con progressive convention over the weekend. The Georgia senator captured 38% support among attendees, dwarfing Squad Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 17% and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 14%.
Every other potential contender languished in the low single digits, underscoring the fractured state of the partys bench. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro each drew 4%, while Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore managed 3%, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom scraped by with just 2.3%.
Harris, by contrast, was almost an afterthought, registering a paltry 0.6% in the roughly 1,000-vote Crooked Con straw poll. The 2024 Democratic nominee placed 16th overall, tied with first-term Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a stunning fall for someone once treated as the partys inevitable future.
Not long ago, Harris led by double digits in nearly every early 2028 Democratic primary survey, buoyed by name recognition and institutional backing. Her collapse in this activist-driven poll highlights a widening gap between party elites and the progressive base that increasingly views her as yesterdays news.
Crooked Con itself is a distinctly left-wing gathering, organized by Crooked Media, a media outfit created by alumni of the Obama administration. The event showcased panels and discussions featuring prominent liberal figures, all focused on charting the future direction of the Democratic Party in the post-Harris era.
While the straw poll is not a scientific measure, it does offer a revealing snapshot of where some of the partys most engaged and ideologically driven voters are leaning. For conservatives, it is another sign that Democrats remain deeply unsettled and internally divided even as President Trumps second administration pursues a more traditional, pro-growth agenda.
Ironically, Ossoff himself has publicly disavowed any presidential ambitions, at least for now. Yes, I will, Ossoff replied during a debate last month when asked if he would commit to serving a full six-year Senate term, adding, I have zero interest in running for president. Im running for Senate.
Once viewed as the most vulnerable Democratic senator facing reelection in 2026, Ossoff instead routed his Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), in their Senate contest. That decisive victory in what was long a reliably red state, combined with his polished speaking style, has only intensified speculation that he could be a formidable 2028 standard-bearer for Democrats.
Harris and Newsom had previously dominated most early 2028 Democratic polling, reflecting the party establishments preference for familiar coastal liberals. Harris still technically leads with 21.8%, followed by Newsom at 13.5%, while Ossoff sits in fifth place at 10.8% in the latest RealClearPolitics average of hypothetical 2028 Democratic contenders.
Yet Ossoffs record complicates the narrative for the partys hard left, and may make him marginally less alarming to conservatives than other progressive darlings. The Georgia Democrat has broken with the far-left on several marquee issues, opposing Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and efforts to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he has also opposed expanding the Supreme Court.
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