If this early snapshot of the Democratic Party is any indication, the race for 2028 is already taking shape—and it is tilting sharply toward the party's progressive wing.
A new poll of New Hampshire Democrat presidential primary voters shows Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) narrowly leading the field with 22 percent support, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg follows close behind at 21 percent. Everyone else trails in single digits, underscoring just how unsettled the party remains after its recent electoral setbacks.
The survey, conducted among 648 Democrat primary voters and released on July 22, places Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in a distant third with nine percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose national ambitions have been evident for years, receives eight percent support.
Even longtime progressive icon Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), once the driving force behind the Democratic Party's leftward shift, manages only six percent. Former Vice President Kamala Harris fares even worse, drawing just five percent despite having spent years at the highest levels of government.
Several Democrats widely viewed as potential White House contenders barely register. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro receives just two percent support, while Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker comes in at only one percent.
For Republicans, the results reinforce a growing perception that Democrats remain divided over both leadership and direction. Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the nation's most outspoken advocates of progressive policies, while Buttigieg, despite serving as Transportation secretary, left office under heavy criticism over the department's handling of major transportation disruptions and infrastructure challenges.
It is still extraordinarily early, and presidential primary polls this far from Election Day often shift dramatically. Even so, the numbers offer a revealing glimpse into where Democrat primary voters currently stand—and suggest that the party's activist base continues to reward candidates who embrace its most progressive agenda.
As the road to 2028 begins, Republicans will be watching closely. If these early front-runners remain at the top, the next presidential contest could become another defining clash between President Donald Trump's America First vision and a Democratic Party increasingly pulled toward its progressive left.
