She lost the White House in a landslide, torched a billion-dollar war chest, and left her party reeling, but Kamala Harris is back on top.
Less than four months after suffering a humiliating defeat to Donald Trump in which she lost the popular vote, the Electoral College, and every single swing state, a new poll suggests former Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic Party’s undisputed frontrunner.
In a political twist few would have predicted in the aftermath of 2024, Harris currently leads the early 2028 Democratic primary field by a staggering 26-point margin, according to a Morning Consult poll.
The numbers speak for themselves with 36 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning independent voters saying they want Harris at the top of the ticket once again.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg comes a distant second at 10 percent.
Harris has barely been seen in public since November’s defeat, but if the poll’s findings are to be believed it would seem the Democrats are no closer to understanding what went wrong and lack alternatives.
Once billed as the future of the Democratic Party, Harris watched her 2024 presidential bid collapse in real time as Trump bulldozed his way back into the White House.
Despite raising close to $1.8 billion – an astronomical sum that surpassed even her predecessor Joe Biden’s haul – Harris failed to convert the money into momentum or any meaningful support in the crucial battleground states.
Four months after suffering a humiliating defeat to Donald Trump, a new poll suggests former Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic Party’s undisputed frontrunner for 2028
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg comes a distant second at 10 percent
Months on the political vacuum left by her loss appears still open to be filled with no viable challenger yet emerging as the Democrats appear bruised and directionless.
Trailing Harris in the poll is a lineup of potential Democratic suiters but none have cracked double digits except for Buttigieg.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely seen as a natural successor to Democratic power, sits in a three-way tie at just 5 percent, alongside far-left firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Harris’ own 2024 running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
TV billionaire Mark Cuban, who has flirted with the idea of running in years past, pulled in 4 percent, matching Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, said to be a finalist in Harris’ 2024 VP selection process.
TV billionaire Mark Cuban, who has flirted with the idea of running in years past, pulled in 4 percent, matching Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, said to be a finalist in Harris’ 2024 VP selection process.
Senator Cory Booker polled 3 percent while Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer drew 2%
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, left, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, center, and Senator Amy Klobuchar all tied at 2 percent
Last week it was reported Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff under Barack Obama, is considering a bid to run for the presidency in 2028
After Shapiro the numbers descend into obscurity: Senator Cory Booker at 3 percent and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Senator Amy Klobuchar all tied at 2 percent.
Last week, Politico reported Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff under Barack Obama, is considering a bid.
The poll suggested just 1 percent of potential Democratic primary voters would support him at this point, while 44 percent of Democrat voters said they’d never heard of him.
Harris’ resurgence has come without a single campaign stop, fundraising email, or public announcement.
Reports suggest the former VP might be considering a run for California governor in 2026, to succeed a termed-out Newsom.