Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leads the 2028 Democratic presidential primary field, according to a new poll of New Hampshire voters.

The Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center earlier this month, asked likely Democratic primary voters about a list of potential candidates, including Buttigieg, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

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Pete Buttigieg leads among potential 2028 Democratic presidential nominees

19% of respondents said that they would support Buttigieg in the 2028 primary. Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez came in second and third place with 15% and 14%, respectively. Harris got 11%, Sanders 8%, and Pritzker 6%. All the other candidates got 3% or less. 10% of respondents were undecided.

The pollsters also asked whether the likely primary voters liked each candidate, and Buttigieg came out on top as well, with 81% of respondents rating him favorably. Sanders was second-highest with 72% and Ocasio-Cortez third with 66%.

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Buttigieg’s favorability rating was higher among people who identify as “Liberal” than among those who identify as “Progressive,” “Moderate,” or “Socialist,” although the sample sizes for each group are likely very small. Women had a somewhat higher approval rating for Buttigieg than men, as did registered Democrats (as opposed to unregistered likely Democratic voters). Income, age, education level, and region within the state didn’t have a clear relationship with his favorability rating.

The poll also asked likely Republican primary voters about a list of potential GOP candidates in 2028, and JD Vance received a majority—51%—of support. Second place on the right was former Gov. Nikki Haley (R) at 9%.

New Hampshire has been the second state in the presidential primary for decades, but New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley announced last year his intention to make the state the first in 2028: “We believe we have a very strong case to make. It’s two years away. We think it’s important that people [don’t] think someone put a thumb on it, and we are awarded our position because we earned it.”

Being one of the first states may give it outsized influence in the primary since candidates could campaign harder there to build momentum for later primaries.

The poll also asked all voters whether they approve of the current president. 54% disapproved, while 45% approved, putting New Hampshire residents in the same ballpark as Americans overall.

The poll was conducted between October 16 and 21 and involved a survey of 1,547 New Hampshire residents, including 602 likely Democratic primary voters and 689 likely Republican primary voters.

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