2028 Democratic Frontrunner Emerges Among Young Voters, And Republicans Will Have A Fit

The calendar is about to flip to 2026, meaning we’re getting closer to the 2028 primaries. No one knows exactly who might emerge victorious in what will likely be a wide-open Democratic primary, but one poll finds a surprising leader, at least among young voters.

According to the Yale Youth Poll, described as “an undergraduate-led research project at Yale University,” Donald Trump still has a very low approval rating, while Democrats lead on the generic ballot.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez early 2028 Democratic favorite among young voters: Poll https://t.co/oBTwZgLv0S

— The Hill (@thehill) December 8, 2025

When it comes to 2028, the overall poll finds that on the Democratic side, California Gov. Gavin Newsom leads with 25 percent, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris with 18 percent, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) with 16 percent. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is fourth with 14 percent, followed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro with 4 percent.

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However, among young voters, including the 18-22, 23-29, and 30-34-year-old demographics, AOC is in the lead.

Per The Hill, AOC holds “a double-digit lead over former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other potential contenders when Democrats under 35 are asked which hypothetical candidate they would support if the 2028 primary were held today.”

Sharp age differences over the Democratic Party’s future in the Yale Youth Poll. Majorities of under 35 Dems favor energizing the base ‘by running on progressive policies.’ Far less support among older Democrats. https://t.co/uL5F0olESV pic.twitter.com/eD1at89zK9

— Carroll Doherty (@CarrollDoherty) December 8, 2025

Among those 65 and older, however, the New York Congresswoman is less popular, with just 5 percent support. Among the older cohort, Newsom leads with 38 percent, followed by Buttigieg with 18 percent and Harris with 11 percent, with no other candidate in double digits.

The usual caveats apply: It’s still very early, and not a single one of those people has announced that they’re running for president in 2028. The midterm elections are still nearly a year away, and the presidential primary campaign won’t get rolling again until some time after that. AOC, for her part, has been noncommittal in interviews about whether or she has any interest in pursuing the presidency.

Even so, we can expect some of the people listed above to start visiting early primary states, and some of them have books coming out in 2026. Shapiro’s book arrives in January, and Newsom’s in February, and the latter debuted a trailer for his on Tuesday:

Newsom drops a trailer for his upcoming book out next February.
“This is not the book you’d expect me to write.”
Talks about regrets and how ppl might look at his shirt, suit “and yea, gelled hair and think ‘oh, I know this guy.’”
pic.twitter.com/5vgebHOK7y

— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) December 9, 2025

Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.