It’s still early, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom appears to be the frontrunner among possible contenders for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination for the 2028 race.
Politico conducted a poll with the Citrin Center at UC Berkeley and TrueDot to get an early read on what the 2028 presidential race might look like.
Newsom is the clear early leader with 28 percent support if the primary election were held today. Former Vice President Kamala Harris comes in second at 14 percent, followed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 12 percent.
When it comes to voter enthusiasm, Newsom also leads the pack, with 48 percent saying they are excited about his candidacy, compared to 41 percent for Harris. However, the former vice president might have more of an enthusiasm problem, with 59 percent saying they are not excited about the prospect of her running for the nomination compared to 52 percent who say the same about Newsom.
Newsom has been working to raise his profile over the past year. He has become one of the party’s leading critics of President Donald Trump, attacking him at international events and traveling to early primary states to promote his memoir.
Even Newsom’s social media has become more spicy with its attacks on Trump. He appears to be trying to emulate the Trumpian pugilistic approach to politics, which has played well with left-leaning voters.
I spoke about my dyslexia.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 12, 2026
I know that’s hard for a brain-dead moron who bombs children and protects pedophiles to understand. pic.twitter.com/qFjsQeSJ1z
The governor started a podcast in 2025 in which he has had conversations with leading conservative figures. It is clearly an effort to portray himself as more of a reasonable moderate instead of the hard leftist ideologue he actually is. He has taken more centrist positions on issues like homelessness, policing, and immigration, the Associated Press reported. He ruffled a few feathers on the left during a podcast episode when he argued that biological males should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Meanwhile, Harris has not ruled out another run for the White House. While she has not confirmed that she plans to make another go at it, she revived her KamalaHQ social media presence and released a book about her disastrous 2024 campaign, which has maintained her political visibility.
Ocasio-Cortez has sparked speculation about a potential White House run by expanding her national profile. She recently made a fool of herself at the Munich Security Conference by displaying her ignorance on foreign policy matters. Still, she acted more as a national figure than a House member.
Q: So when you run for president, are you going to impose a wealth tax?@AOC: I don't think we have to wait for any one president to have a wealth tax, I think it needs to be done expeditiously pic.twitter.com/GT6YMwf15s
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) February 13, 2026
Democrats seem to believe AOC plans to run in 2028 and have cautioned that she could harm the party’s chances of winning by pushing it further to the left.