A YouGov poll recently surveyed Democratic voters on who they believe the most electable nominee is. The plurality said Gavin Newsom, with 31% agreeing that he would be the best candidate to defeat the GOP opponent. Kamala Harris trailed at 16%, with AOC polling at a mere 4%. Although Harris continues to lead the polls for the 2028 primary, voters are skeptical of whether she can be elected. Newsom is the only candidate whose electability outperformed his presidential poll. His electability score was nearly double his voting poll of 16%, showing that voters believe he is the most pragmatic choice in 2028.
If Newsom is the winner of this poll, Harris and AOC are the clear losers. AOC’s electability vote was half of where she polled at 9%, showing that although voters may be excited about the prospect of her candidacy, they are skeptical as to whether her progressive platform can win the general election. Harris, having already lost a general election, unsurprisingly underperforms in electability when compared to her polling share.
Another interesting primary poll from YouGov revealed who Democrats would be most disappointed with as their candidate in 2028. Harris lead, with 22% of the vote, followed by Bernie Sanders with 16%, Tim Walz with 14%, and AOC with 13%. Newsom had a medium-level 10% of the vote, showing that voters would be less disappointed in him as their candidate than any of his leading competitors for the nomination.
Bernie Sanders and Tim Walz both lead the list, likely due to Bernie's old age, and Tim Walz's shared problem with Harris. Walz lost in 2024, and seems unlikely to run again considering his recent announcement that he will not be running for reelection as governor.
Although Newsom may trail Harris in most presidential polls, his other stats easily put him as the top contender for 2028. Democrats mostly agree that he is the most electable candidate, and most would not be unhappy with him as the nominee. Harris still has a lot to prove before 2028, needing to convince the Democratic base that she can win a presidential election.