A survey conducted shortly after the 2024 presidential election indicates most Democratic voters would support Vice President Kamala Harris in 2028 as the party’s nominee if she were to run for president again.
It’s only been two weeks since Democrats lost the presidency to Republicans but some are looking to the future, hopeful that a potential new, or familiar, pool of candidates will reinvigorate voters.
Though names like California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg have emerged, Harris’s campaign seems to have made a lasting impact.
Harris entered the presidential race in July after President Joe Biden dropped out – but, despite the initial momentum, still lost to Donald Trump (REUTERS)
Approximately 41 percent of likely Democratic voters said they would vote for Harris to represent the Democratic Party in the 2028 presidential election, a survey from Echelon Insights and Puck News found.
The results are purely preliminary and given Harris’s recency, her policies and stance on issues are fresh in voters’ minds.
The vice president ran a short, but aggressive, campaign. Having only entered the race in July, Harris was forced to rely on celebrities, surrogates and massive ad blitzes to reach voters.
So, for now, Democratic voters would still support the vice president in the primaries. But a bevy of other potential candidates could take over their enthusiasm.
A similar situation emerged before the Republican presidential primaries when conservative voters rallied behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the Republican nominee before Trump overtook him.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is a longtime political figure. About eight percent of survey respondents said they would vote for him in Democratic primaries (AP)
About 16 percent of survey respondents said they were unsure who they would support as the next Democratic nominee – and likely it will remain that way for at least two years.
Other Democratic primary candidates could be California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez, and more.
Eight percent of survey respondents said they’d support Newsom in primaries. Seven percent indicated they’d vote for Shapiro and six percent said would support Buttigieg.
One to four percent of respondents said they’d support other options like Ocasio-Cortez, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
It is far too early to tell who could emerge as the frontrunner, though Harris has the momentum and backing to run another potentially successful campaign.
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