California Democrats would prefer Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom over former Vice President Kamala Harris in a hypothetical 2028 presidential primary contest featuring both Golden State politicians, a Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll released Wednesday found.
The survey found Newsom leading the failed 2024 presidential candidate and former California senator 25% to 19% among registered Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents in the state. The report comes amid growing speculation that both Newsom and Harris are considering White House runs in 2028.
“There’s affection for her [Harris], but maybe less confidence that she would be a strong candidate,” Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at University of California, Berkeley and partner on the poll, told Politico. “[Newsom is] in the news everyday. If you think someone is running, you’re more likely to support them.” (RELATED: Chris Coons Ducks And Weaves When Asked If He Would Support Kamala Harris In 2028)
At the same time the poll was being conducted, the California governor was generating significant media coverage over his ongoing bid to gerrymander his state’s House map to flip up to five seats from Republican to Democratic.
Of those surveyed, 75% of registered Democratic voters said they felt “excited” about the prospect of Newsom running in the 2028 White House race. Meanwhile, a smaller percentage — 67% — said they were “excited” about Harris running, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg notched third place in the survey, with the support of 13% of Democratic voters — followed by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who received 10%.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 06: Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the State of the People POWER Tour opening ceremony on June 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In June, Newsom did not directly deny that he may make a White House bid in 2028, telling the Wall Street Journal that he is “not thinking about running,” but it is a “path” that he could see “unfold.” The California governor has notably faced a failed 2021 recall attempt during his time in office.
Harris announced on June 30 that she is not running to succeed Newsom in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, fueling speculation that she may instead step into the 2028 presidential race. She notably lost to President Donald Trump by a wide margin in the 2024 presidential election.
The sample of 1,445 total registered voters, including 807 registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, was selected at random by Verasight, with interviews conducted in English and Spanish, and includes an oversample of Hispanic voters. The modeled error estimate for the full sample is plus/minus 2.6%. The policy influencer study was conducted from July 30 to Aug. 11, among 512 subscribers to Politico Pro, and the modeled error estimate is plus/minus 3.7%.
Harris’ office and Newsom’s office both did not immediately respond to requests for comment by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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