A new poll shows one Democratic leader rising quickly in popularity.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom now holds a strong lead in a possible 2028 Democratic presidential primary, according to an Emerson College poll released Friday. Newsom received 25% support, a jump of 13 points from June, when he was at only 12%.
Behind him are former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 16%, former Vice President Kamala Harris with 11%, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro with 5%, and both Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with 4%.
“Governor Newsom’s support surged across key demographic groups, highlighted by a 12-point increase among voters under 30 (6% to 18%), an 18-point increase among voters over 70 (13% to 31%), and a 14-point increase among both Black (9% to 23%) and White (10% to 24%) voters,” Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement.
Newsom’s sharp rise comes after weeks of drawing attention online — often sparking backlash from conservatives. His account on X has openly mocked President Donald Trump and his supporters, using all-caps posts and handing out nicknames to rivals. Critics on the right argue he is copying Trump’s own online style on Truth Social.
At the same time, Newsom is facing pushback from Republican lawmakers over his California plan to counter a GOP-led redistricting push in Texas — a move supported by the president. Texas Republicans are aiming to secure up to five safe seats before the 2026 midterms, while California voters are set to weigh in on a blue-leaning map this November.
The poll also looked at the Republican side. Vice President JD Vance leads the GOP primary field with 52% support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio follows with 9%, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stands at 7%.
In a possible 2028 general election matchup, Newsom and Vance are tied with 44% each, while 12% of voters remain undecided. That’s a shift from July, when Vance led Newsom by 3 points.
Kimball noted that younger voters, particularly those aged 18 to 29, helped drive Newsom’s recent gains.
The survey included 1,000 registered voters between Aug. 25-26 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
