Newsweek: AOC Surges to Lead in 2028 Primary for First Time--Most Accurate Pollster

[TheProle]

Last edited Tue May 12, 2026, 06:11 PM - Edit history (1)

The new AtlasIntel poll found Ocasio-Cortez leading among a crowded field of potential Democratic candidates, with 26 percent of respondents saying they would vote for her in the primary.

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg followed with 22.4 percent, while California Governor Gavin Newsom received 21.2 percent of support in the poll. Former Vice President Kamala Harris received the backing of 12.9 percent of respondents.

No other candidates received double-digit support in the poll, which surveyed 2,069 U.S. adults from May 4-7, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

https://www.newsweek.com/aoc-surges-lead-2028-primary-first-time-poll-11941529

[ananda]

1. OK by me.

I like her.

[get the red out]

3. I like her too

But there is so much misogyny in the country right now that if there are men that don't even believe women should be allowed to vote, it would be another losing effort to have a woman candidate for President yet.

[Fichefinder]

2. A lot of baseball left to play between now and then

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Stick with female candidate but younger each time.

I'm not seeing the wisdom of this strategy.

[awesomerwb1]

5. There isn't any

[TheProle]

6. This is a public opinion poll and measures voter sentiment, not party strategy

and it indicates a relatively strong preference for the more progressive wing of the party.

[Silver Gaia]

7. This is not encouraging. 🫤

[fujiyamasan]

8. At this point it's just a poll of name recognition among democrats

I wouldn’t put too much stock in this.

AOC definitely will have a bigger role within the party and politics, but I don’t see that happening through the presidency. I don’t see the party nominating a female for president for the next several election cycles.

[TheProle]

10. Polls are a snapshot in time.

What would behoove people is paying attention to the polls to the extent that it can shape the national conversation leading up to the primaries.

Harris peaked in polls recently, too, after giving a talk.

AOC recently discussed the presidency (among other things) with Axelrod, so yeah it will be a lot of recency bias and name recognition for several months, but it's not worthless info and offers some measure of insight from the people.

The gravitas-weighers in the party elite who thumbed the scale for Clinton and Harris don't exactly have a stellar track record going into '28.

No emoticons readily available for this, but your view on polling is duly noted.

I found her comments measured and plugged into real issues:

She said, in part, that she does not want to make decisions as a lawmaker, with the idea of one day becoming a senator or president weighing in the back of her mind.

"My ambition is to change this country,” she said. “Presidents come and go. Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go. But single-payer healthcare is forever. A living wage is forever, workers' rights are forever, women's rights, all of that, and so anyways...to a finer point to your question is that when you aren't attached, right, when you haven't been like fantasizing about being this or that since the time you were 7 years old, um, it is tremendously liberating."

She has not confirmed plans to run for president and has also been named as a potential Senate candidate, as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is up for reelection. He could retire, but some on the left have said Ocasio-Cortez should challenge him in a primary if he chooses to run again.

[Unrepentant Fenian]

12. Mark Kelly for the win!

[democratsruletheday]

14. Here HERE.....he's my guy

with Pritzker a strong 2nd. Two fantastic women ran in 16' and 24' and both lost to the worst POS to ever pollute the white house. Not feeling it with a female candidate, as another poster said. Too much misogyny in this country right now. Harsh reality of the matter. Don't shoot the messenger folks, it's just the way it is right now. I don't like it any more than you do.

[lostnfound]

13. Three out of three young men i know would crawl over broken glass to help her get elected

They trust her. They relate to her. They appreciate her priorities.