New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez obliterates Vice President JD Vance in a recent poll, racking up 48.4 percent of likely voter support against Vance's 39.6 percent. A staggering 12 percent remain undecided.
Polling since 2025 reveals a chaotic landscape, with potential candidates jockeying for position. Vance faces fierce competition from prominent Democrats, while uncertainty looms over both parties.
In the Democratic arena, surveys from 2026 show former Vice President Kamala Harris leading the pack among prospective primary voters. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez also command significant attention, alongside former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
No one has officially declared their candidacy yet.
The Public Sentiment Institute's latest poll indicates Newsom outpaces Vance with 50.8 percent to 38.9 percent, leaving 10.3 percent undecided. Harris also trounces Vance, securing 49.4 percent compared to his 38.3 percent, with 12.3 percent undecided.
In a direct matchup against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ocasio-Cortez again comes out on top, winning 46.8 percent to Rubio's 38 percent, with 15.2 percent undecided.
However, in the broader Democratic primary context, Ocasio-Cortez only garners 7.2 percent of support from respondents identifying as Democrats. Harris dominates with 29.2 percent, followed by Newsom at 15.2 percent and Buttigieg at 11.3 percent.
David Axelrod, a former adviser to ex-President Barack Obama, recently pressed Ocasio-Cortez on her potential presidential ambitions for 2028. She stated she does not want her legislative decisions clouded by aspirations for higher office. "My ambition is to change this country," she asserted, emphasizing that issues like single-payer healthcare and workers' rights are her true focus.
"I want to make decisions from a place of how are we going to change the country," Ocasio-Cortez reiterated.
A survey from The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll last week revealed Harris with 27 percent of the hypothetical Democratic primary vote, while Newsom trails at 14 percent. Buttigieg stands at 11 percent, Ocasio-Cortez at 8 percent, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear each at 2 percent. Notably, 17 percent of respondents were unsure.
Lake Research Partners conducted a poll last month showing Harris at 26 percent, Newsom at 17 percent, Buttigieg at 16 percent, and Ocasio-Cortez at 10 percent in a ranked-choice simulation. In the final round, Harris secured 52 percent against Newsom's 48 percent. This poll surveyed 800 Democratic primary voters nationwide from May 6 to May 11, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.
