New poll shows who Dems want in 2028 — and it’s not Kamala Harris

According to a recent poll, Kamala Harris is not the top choice for Democrats in the 2028 presidential primary. The poll, published on May 30 by Atlas Intel, identified Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and former transportation secretary in the Biden administration, as the preferred candidate among surveyed Democrats. Approximately 31.5% of self-identified Democrats participating in the poll indicated they would support Buttigieg for president in the upcoming election cycle.

Contrary to other polls conducted by firms like Echelon Insights and McLaughlin & Associates in May, which positioned Harris as the leading candidate in a theoretical primary, the Atlas Intel survey highlighted Buttigieg as the frontrunner. Harris ranked third among Democratic voters, trailing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York. Ocasio-Cortez garnered support from 19.4% of respondents, while Harris received 16.6% backing.

Despite Buttigieg, Ocasio-Cortez, and Harris emerging as the top three choices for Democratic voters, none of them have confirmed their intention to run for president. Harris is reportedly contemplating a gubernatorial bid in California or a second presidential campaign. U.S. Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey secured the fourth position in the poll, with 10.4% of respondents expressing support for his candidacy. Following Booker were California Governor Gavin Newsom at 7.1%, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at 4.8%, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at 3.7%.

A small percentage of surveyed Democrats, 3.6%, selected “none of the above,” while 1.4% favored U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia. The poll, conducted by Atlas Intel between May 21 and May 27, involved 3,469 U.S. adults and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2%.