Former Vice President Kamala Harris has opened up a 15-point lead over California Governor Gavin Newsom in a new poll of potential Democratic presidential candidates for 2028. This is despite having yet to announce whether she will seek the White House again. The Financial Times/Focaldata survey, released on October 11, found that 30 percent of respondents considering the Democratic presidential nomination supported Harris, compared with 15 percent for Newsom.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were tied for third place on 9 percent each, while Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff followed on 8 percent. Focaldata said its latest survey was conducted between October 2 and October 5 among 2,553 U.S. adults. The generic ballot measures which party voters would prefer to control Congress, rather than support for individual candidates in specific races.
The findings come less than three weeks before the November midterm elections and amid growing speculation about who will emerge to lead the Democratic Party following GOP President Donald Trump's second term. However, the latest numbers do not represent a significant departure from previous polling; this has repeatedly placed Harris ahead of other prospective candidates. A Harvard CAPS/Harris survey conducted in late September put Harris at 38 percent and Newsom at 17 percent, while an Echelon Insights poll earlier that month found Harris leading Newsom by 24 percent to 14 percent.
The new results reinforce Harris's position as an early polling front-runner while highlighting the uncertainty surrounding a presidential contest that remains more than two years away. Neither Harris nor Newsom has formally announced a 2028 presidential campaign. Harris has kept her political options open since losing the 2024 presidential election to Trump.
The former vice president said in July that she had not made a decision about another White House campaign. Her position has attracted renewed scrutiny as she continues to engage with Democratic donors and support candidates ahead of the midterms. An October 6 Washington Post report described Harris as facing competing pressures within the party, with some Democrats pointing to her experience and established support base, while others question whether the party should choose a new candidate after its 2024 defeat.
Harris's strong position in early primary polling also comes with a significant caveat: voters expressing a preference more than two years before an election are not necessarily committed to supporting that candidate when voting begins. Harris remains one of the most closely watched potential contenders, with her decision likely to affect the choices available to other Democrats considering a campaign. The new poll is particularly significant given Newsom's comments about a possible presidential contest between two of California's most prominent Democrats.
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