JD Vance, Kamala Harris lead new 2028 poll but rival surveys show race remains wide open
WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris lead a new 2028 presidential preference poll, but competing surveys suggest neither party has settled on a clear favorite for the next White House race.
The latest numbers immediately add to an already mixed picture. While the McLaughlin & Associates survey shows both candidates leading their respective fields, other recent polls have produced different frontrunners, highlighting how fluid the contest remains years before the next presidential election.
McLaughlin poll puts JD Vance and Kamala Harris ahead
A McLaughlin & Associates survey, released June 25, found Harris leading Democratic voters with 26% support. California Governor Gavin Newsom followed at 16%, while New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez placed third with 9%.
Among Republicans, Vance opened a wider advantage, earning 35% support compared with 15% for Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The poll surveyed 464 likely voters between June 17 and June 23.
President Donald Trump has so far declined to back a preferred successor, even as he praised both Vance and Rubio during a May 11 White House event.
"I do believe that's a dream team, but these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstances," he said. "I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate."
Rival polls tell a different story
The McLaughlin findings differ sharply from other recent polling, particularly on the Democratic side.
As per USA Today, an AtlasIntel survey conducted May 4 through May 7 showed Ocasio-Cortez leading Democratic contenders with 26% support. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ranked behind her, followed by Newsom, while Harris finished fourth with approximately half of Ocasio-Cortez's support.
The Republican results also looked different. Rubio led with about 45% of GOP primary voters, while Vance and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trailed behind.
An Emerson College poll released later in May offered yet another snapshot of the race.
Buttigieg led Democratic hopefuls with 18%, ahead of Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez. Harris again placed fourth, tying with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
On the Republican side, however, Vance returned to the top, posting 36% support, just one point ahead of Rubio.
Taken together, the three polls paint a far less settled picture than any single survey suggests.
With different candidates leading across the surveys and support shifting from poll to poll, the early 2028 presidential field remains open despite the latest McLaughlin results placing Harris and Vance at the front of their respective parties.
