Kamala Harris blames both Democrats and Republicans for failed economic policies.
Kamala Harris Emerges as Clear 2028 Front-Runner in New Poll
April 29 2026, Published 2:51 p.m. ET
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has gained a significant early lead in a new 2028 Democratic presidential poll, receiving 50% support among Democrats in the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris survey.
The poll, conducted online from April 23 to 26 among 2,745 registered voters, found Harris far ahead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who came in second at 22%. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro received 9%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got 8%, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had 6%, and 5% chose someone else.
Early polling has Kamala Harris in the lead for 2028.
The survey also revealed that 67% of voters had thought at least somewhat about the 2028 presidential election. Among Democrats, 41% said they had thought about it “a lot,” compared to 32% of Republicans and 22% of independents.
Harris’ lead emerges as she considers running for president again after losing the 2024 election to President Donald Trump. At the National Action Network convention in New York earlier this month, Harris mentioned that she was thinking about another campaign.
“I am thinking about it,” Harris said, according to The Associated Press.
The April poll showed Harris with strong support among Black Democratic voters. She received 71% support among Black Democrats, while she got 41% among white Democrats and 50% among Hispanic and Asian Democrats. Newsom attracted 26% among white Democrats and 15% among Black Democrats.
Harris also had a 41% favorable rating among all registered voters, with 47% viewing her unfavorably. The same poll found Trump at 42% favorable and 51% unfavorable.
Newsom is trailing behind Harris in the latest polls.
The poll positions Harris better than several other recent early surveys of the 2028 Democratic field. An Echelon Insights poll released last week also showed Harris leading Democrats, though by a smaller margin, with Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, and Ocasio-Cortez among other possible contenders.
Harris has not announced a campaign. No major Democrat has officially taken charge of the 2028 field, and early polling often reflects name recognition more than lasting support. Still, the Harvard CAPS/Harris result highlights Harris' strong advantage among Democratic voters nearly two years before the first expected primary contests.
The poll also examined Republicans. Vice President JD Vance led that group with 48% support among Republicans, followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 18%, Marco Rubio at 16%, Ron DeSantis at 9%, Tucker Carlson at 4%, and someone else at 4%.
The survey’s margin of error for the full sample was plus or minus 1.87 percentage points. The Democratic and Republican primary results were based on party subgroups, which typically have larger margins of error.