Kamala Harris trails AOC, Buttigieg with just 5% in early 2028 Democratic poll

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Vice President Kamala Harris has fallen to just 5% support in one of the earliest surveys of the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential field, accentuating a dramatic shift in the party's post-2024 landscape.

A new University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll places Harris well behind Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire, a state that has historically played an outsized role in shaping presidential nomination contests.

The result is particularly striking given that Harris was the Democratic Party's most recent presidential nominee, raising fresh questions about the party's future leadership.

Kamala Harris slips to single digits

The University of New Hampshire poll found Ocasio-Cortez leading the Democratic field with 22%, narrowly ahead of Buttigieg at 21%. Harris finished with just 5%, trailing not only the top two contenders but also sitting only slightly ahead of several lower-tier candidates.

California Gov Gavin Newsom, Sen Mark Kelly (D-Ariz) and Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) each received less than 10% support, while no other potential Democratic candidate exceeded 2%.

For Harris, the single-digit showing represents one of the weakest early indicators yet for a politician who only recently stood at the top of the Democratic ticket.

AOC builds early coalition 

According to the survey, Ocasio-Cortez's support is driven primarily by self-described socialists and progressives, reflecting her continued influence among the party's left wing.

Buttigieg, meanwhile, posted a broader coalition, drawing support from progressives, liberals, and moderates alike.

Although the 2028 race remains years away and no major Democratic candidate has formally entered the contest, New Hampshire polling is closely watched because the state has traditionally served as an early testing ground for presidential hopefuls seeking momentum ahead of the nominating calendar. 

GOP race takes shape too 

The survey also offered an early look at the Republican contest, with Vice President JD Vance leading the prospective GOP field at 36%, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 26%. No other Republican candidate reached double digits.

Conducted among more than 1,500 respondents between July 15 and July 20, the poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

While the numbers are far from predictive, Harris's fifth-place-level support is likely to fuel questions about whether Democratic voters are already looking beyond the party's most recent nominee as attention shifts toward the next presidential election.