While Democrats struggle to find their voice against the president’s authoritarianism, party voters are already choosing their favorite possible presidential candidates for 2028 — and out gay former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is near the top of the list.
A recent Yale Youth poll of 4,100 registered Democratic voters showed Buttigieg getting 14% of respondents’ support, coming in third place behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who got 21%) and former Vice President Kamala Harris (who got 28%).
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The top three are perhaps unsurprising since they’ve been the most active and outspoken critics of the president while outlining a positive vision of the future. However, the rest of the politicians named in the poll show that voters are shifting away from older “establishment candidates.”
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For example, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) came in fourth place with 6% of respondent support. Once thought of as an LGBTQ+ rights pioneer and a progressive possible presidential contender, Newsom has since lost favor with Democratic voters for launching a podcast in which he platforms notorious right-wingers like convicted former White House advisor Steve Bannon, anti-LGBTQ+ conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and anti-gay conservative Michael Savage.
Behind Newsom are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (at 5%), who was considered as Harris’s possible running mate in 2024; and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (at 4%), the first Democrat to win the seat since 1962.
In a four-way tie for seventh place, all getting 3% support in the poll, are Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, an outspoken supporter of transgender rights; billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, an LGBTQ+ ally who has supported queer athletes; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who recently signed two pro-LGBTQ+ laws; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who has repeatedly battled anti-LGBTQ+ Republican legislators in his state.
It’s unclear who would actually emerge victorious in a Democratic primary, and some concerned social media commenters have worried that the current president may try to rig or outlaw a future election, especially as he considers an unconstitutional run for a third term.
New 2028 Democratic Primary poll Harris 28% Ocasio-Cortez 21% Buttigieg 14% Newsom 6% Shapiro 5% Kelly 4% Pritzker 3% Cuban 3% Whitmer 3% Beshear 3% Yale Youth Poll 4/1-4/3 Sample size of 4100 registered voters
— Prem Thakker ツ (@premthakker.bsky.social) April 15, 2025 at 4:25 PM
It’s also unlikely that Harris would emerge as a front-runner, especially since she’s now seen as a twice-failed candidate whose repeated stump speeches in the 2024 election failed to energize the party’s progressive base.
In contrast, Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez have excited the party’s moderate and progressive segments, respectively.
Buttigieg, known for his eloquent and straight-forward speaking style that often disarms right-wing media talking points, helped sink Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 candidacy by dropping out alongside other moderates during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and supporting the eventual successful nominee, Joe Biden. His support helped snag him a cabinet position during Biden’s presidency, and he became known as the face of Biden’s “Build Back Better” initiative to improve transportation infrastructure while resolving national supply chain issues.
Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez has stood out as a knowledgeable and ambitious politician known for maintaining close ties to her constituents, spearheading the ambitious Green New Deal plan to share profits of renewable energy sources with those most harmed by environmental pollution. Parts of the plan became part of Biden’s legislative agenda. She has since shown herself to be a master of social media and has used her platform to speak against the immoral political practices of billionaires.
Progressive Democratic sentiment has increasingly moved away from congressional party leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), both of whom have been criticized for not more forcefully opposing the current president.
Most Democratic primaries end up being a battle between the party’s centrist and progressive factions. If this recent poll is any indication, the upcoming primary will resurrect this battle for a new generation.
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