Newsom’s support for 2028 presidential bid tanks, AOC and other contenders rise: poll
Gov. Gavin Newsom is slipping in 2028 presidential polls, as other Democrats pick up steam.
A new Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll found Newsom had dipped to third-place pick for the Democratic nominee with 14% support. That’s behind former VP Kamala Harris (17%) and former Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (16%).
Newsom led the pack in a February YouGov poll and has typically been in the top 2 with Harris. He told CNN this week he won’t launch his White House bid if Harris, a fellow Californian, puts her hat in the ring for a third try at the presidency, citing “mutually assured destruction.”
The latest poll, conducted Aug. 25 through Sept. 1, shows Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) gaining momentum.
The Squad rep is tied with Newsom in third place at 14%, followed by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) at 10%.
AOC said in an August interview that she “hasn’t ruled out the possibility” of running in 2028, and that she’s focused on winning the 2026 midterms.
Buttigieg’s support has also grown this year, as Newsom falters. Kelly has also been making early presidential moves by visiting early voting states and raising his profile.
YouGov’s latest September poll was conducted with 1200 US registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. It did not survey voters about Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), who is polling favorably in other surveys.
The Post reached out to Harris’s, Newsom’s, AOC’s, Buttigieg’s, and Kelly’s offices and did not receive an immediate response.
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