Poll Reflects Young Democrats’ Preferences for 2028
A recent poll places former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead among young Democrats when considering a hypothetical 2028 presidential run. Harris garnered 28.7% support from Democratic respondents aged 18 to 34. This number almost doubles the 14.9% support for former first lady Michelle Obama. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) received 11.7% in the same survey.
The Axios-Generation Lab poll included 1,075 American adults between July 29 and August 4. None of the three women involved have announced a 2028 campaign.
Young independents showed a preference for Obama, who led with 11.4%, while AOC followed at 9.2%, and Senator Bernie Sanders received 7.4%. Among young Republicans, JD Vance led decisively with 31.5%, Donald Trump Jr. followed with 10.7%, and Marco Rubio received 9.7%.
“Thumbs-down on everything,” Generation Lab CEO Cyrus Beschloss said, describing youth sentiment toward politics and the economy.
The poll highlighted dissatisfaction, with 66% disapproving of President Donald Trump’s job performance. Additionally, a staggering 96% voiced concerns about rent, groceries, gas, or utility costs.
Among respondents, 37% identified as Democrats, 26% as Republicans, and 29% as independents. The margin of error was +/- 3.01 percentage points.
Analyzing Support for Harris, Obama, and AOC
Harris outperformed both Obama and AOC combined, though she did not achieve a majority, highlighting the uncertainty in the Democratic field. Harris is the only one of the three with national campaign experience, having placed on the Democratic ticket in 2024 before losing to Trump.
Obama’s poll performance is noteworthy as she has never held elected office. She has consistently declined interest in running for president. Despite this, Obama led among independents, signaling her broader appeal beyond Democratic circles.
AOC’s national recognition stems from championing progressive policies since taking office in 2018. However, she trailed Harris by 17 points among young Democrats and finished 3.2 points behind Obama.
Challenges for Trump and Republicans Among Youth
Young Americans showed opposition to Trump, with 66% disapproving of his performance and 54% strongly disapproving. When asked which party they trusted more to lower living costs, 32% favored Republicans compared to 26% for Democrats, while 36% trusted neither. This sentiment indicates dissatisfaction with both major parties rather than a definitive swing toward Democrats.
This data underscores economic concerns among respondents while showing limited trust in either party’s ability to alleviate expenses. Despite the poll results, previous elections have often underestimated Trump’s support.
The White House did not respond immediately for comment on these findings. In June, spokesperson Davis Ingle stated that the 2024 election is seen as “the ultimate poll.” Ingle lauded Trump’s efforts to boost job creation, fight inflation, and increase housing affordability.