A poll conducted last month by the Taverne Spotlight Institute showed that 90% of likely Democratic voters have a favorable opinion of the former vice president. These polls follow others conducted in recent months that showed Harris leading her potential opponents in 2028, with the exception of one poll by Echelon Insights, which found that California Governor Gavin Newsom leads Harris by 27% to 21%. Harris has not publicly stated whether she is considering a presidential run, but she has privately told advisors and allies that she is keeping her options open. One of her longtime allies said, 'I can say from my conversations with her that she still wants to serve in public life,' adding that her desire for the presidency is one of the reasons she did not run for governor of California this year. The former vice president is currently on a promotional tour for her book, which will last several months across the country, including stops in states she lost in 2024, drawing large crowds in theaters and halls. Kamala Harris tops some new polls of Democratic White House hopefuls, indicating that the former vice president and 2024 presidential candidate remains popular despite her loss to President Donald Trump. This reality contradicts some of the narrative that emerged after those elections, when Democrats talked about turning a new page and some called on the party to abandon old strategies and seek new leaders. The poll found that 21% of respondents said they would support California Governor Gavin Newsom, followed by 10% for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a Democrat from New York). The poll also found that 82% of voters who supported Harris in 2024 view her favorably, while 8% view her unfavorably. She came close to winning the election after spending just 100 days as a presidential candidate following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race. Democratic strategist Basil Smikle said, 'She has a high profile, she remains in the spotlight, and many voters recognize that she was right about much of what she fought for in her 2024 campaign.' Earlier this month, her campaign rebranded its social media accounts, which received widespread media coverage. However, while her allies say she would perform well in a new presidential run on her own, other Democrats, including some of her former aides, are concerned that her nomination a second time would not yield different results. One of Harris's former aides said, 'It was unjust to force her into a campaign that lasted 107 days under those circumstances, but I don't expect Democratic voters, who are desperate to win in 2028, to bet on a candidate who just lost in every swing state,' adding, 'She deserves another chance, but I hope it's not as a presidential candidate.' According to The Hill, the poll found that 39% of registered voters said they would support Harris if she runs, and 21% would support California Governor Gavin Newsom. All of this confirms the contradiction Democrats face in their efforts to rebuild: which parts of their message and leadership they want to fix, and what they are willing to leave as is. Some Democrats say Harris deserves a role more prominent than just a leading candidate, calling her the 'party's standard-bearer for the future.' Another strategist commented on the poll results, saying, 'I think at least part of this reflects that Democrats are giving her a chance in 2024, saying she ran a good campaign and deserves at least another shot.' The poll conducted by Fox Data last week is the latest of Democratic polls for 2028. It found that 39% of registered voters said they would support Harris if she runs.
