Kamala Harris has made a strong political comeback. Despite her landslide defeat to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the former U.S. Vice President is now leading the Democratic field for 2028, according to a new poll conducted by Echelon Insights. Released on Monday, the survey shows Harris in the lead with 26% support among Democrats and Democrat-leaning voters.
The poll results signal a shift in party dynamics as voters begin to look ahead to the next presidential race. Although the primaries are more than two years away, Harris appears to have maintained solid name recognition and support within the party.
Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg ranks second with 11% support, while California Governor Gavin Newsom follows closely at 10%. Both are viewed as experienced contenders, but their numbers fall far short of Harris’s early momentum.
In fourth and fifth place are Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey with 7% and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York with 6%, showing that progressive voices still hold ground among Democratic voters.
The poll also included outsiders. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban leads this group with 3%, while Stephen A. Smith and Jon Stewart each received 1%. Notably, 13% of respondents said they remain undecided, leaving room for major shifts in the coming months.
The pollsters also tested the Democratic field excluding Harris. In that case, Buttigieg and Newsom both rise to 12%, essentially tying for the top spot. Ocasio-Cortez moves up to 9%, followed by Booker at 8% and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz entering the top five with 7%.
This scenario suggests that Harris’s absence would open up the race significantly, giving second-tier candidates a clearer path to the nomination.
Meanwhile, the Republican field shows Vice President JD Vance as the dominant frontrunner. The poll places him at a commanding 42% support, 33 points ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who sits at just 9%.
Trailing the two are Secretary of State Marco Rubio (7%), former Governor Nikki Haley (6%), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (5%), and Vivek Ramaswamy (4%). Sixteen percent of Republican respondents reported being undecided.
The early poll results show clear favorites on both sides, but with over two years to go, the field remains wide open. Harris’s strong lead, however, cements her status as the early Democratic frontrunner for 2028.
