USA23 July, 20263 min read
New Hampshire Poll Shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Leading 2028 Democratic Primary With 22%
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Granite State poll places AOC as a leading 2028 contender in New Hampshire. Other polls show Harris leading nationally, while Emerson poll backs Buttigieg.
New Hampshire 2028 Poll
A Granite State Poll in New Hampshire released Wednesday found Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leading likely Democratic primary voters for a hypothetical 2028 nomination, with 22% support compared with Pete Buttigieg’s 21% and Kamala Harris’s 5%.
The Fox News account says Ocasio-Cortez gained seven points since a February survey, while Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom lost ground, and it quotes University of New Hampshire Survey Center director Andrew Smith saying, "Nearly half of socialists and one-third of progressives support Ocasio-Cortez."
National Review also frames the same 2028 cycle as still early, saying the leading candidate among likely 2028 Democratic primary voters is Ocasio-Cortez at 22% and Buttigieg at 21%.
In the same Fox News poll, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona is listed at 9%, Newsom is described as a point back, and Bernie Sanders is at 6%, while everyone else in the tested field is at 2% or less.
On the Republican side, Fox News reports 36% of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire support Vice President JD Vance and 26% support Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Rand Paul at 8% and Nikki Haley at 8%.
AOC Response and DNC
After the New Hampshire polling placed her among the top Democratic options for 2028, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a reporter, "Well, I feel deeply flattered and honored," and said, "I don't want to discount the support that people have given."
The libresteinforma.ar account says the Granite State poll from July 22 was conducted by the University of New Hampshire's Opinion States Project among 648 likely voters, and it places Ocasio-Cortez ahead of Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire.
Fox News adds that when asked about a run for higher office, Ocasio-Cortez said her goal is to "change the country," and it notes she has been coy about 2028 plans and careful not to rule out either a White House run or a Senate bid against longtime Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Fox News also reports that the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws panel is likely on Friday to unveil a new calendar for the 2028 cycle, to be voted on at the DNC's summer meeting in Austin, Texas, next month.
In the same Fox News story, it says Republicans have not altered their calendar, keeping the Iowa caucuses as their lead-off state followed by New Hampshire.
Buttigieg, Dem Split, Stakes
A separate Emerson College poll described by The Daily Beast shows Pete Buttigieg leading among Democratic primary voters at 19%, followed by Gavin Newsom at 17%, Jon Ossoff at 13%, and Ocasio-Cortez at 13%. The Daily Beast quotes Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball, saying Buttigieg "garnered equal support from both men and women," and it breaks out support levels for candidates by gender, including Ocasio-Cortez at 16% among women versus 9% among men. Fox News contrasts that with the University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll in which Ocasio-Cortez edges Buttigieg, and it reports that Buttigieg came in second in the 2020 New Hampshire presidential primary.
The Daily Beast also says Buttigieg told reporters, "Nope," when asked if he would rule out a 2028 run, and it includes his explanation that he is "super focused on this year’s election." Together, the polling snapshots in New Hampshire and the Emerson test ballot underscore that the early 2028 Democratic contest is being shaped by name recognition and shifting support among candidates like Ocasio-Cortez, Buttigieg, Harris, Newsom, and Sanders.