Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leads among potential 2028 Democratic presidential nominees, new survey reveals

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken the top spot among potential 2028 Democratic presidential nominees in a recent New Hampshire survey. The Granite State Poll, which was conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, shows the New York representative leading the pack with 22 percent support from likely primary voters.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is currently sitting right behind her at 21 percent. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona rounds out the top three in this specific poll, though he is trailing quite a bit further back at 9 percent. The data for this survey was gathered between July 15 and July 20, involving 648 likely Democratic primary voters. It is worth noting that the margin of sampling error for this poll sits at 3.8 percentage points.

Back in October, Buttigieg was leading the group with 19 percent support. At that time, California Governor Gavin Newsom held 15 percent, while Ocasio-Cortez sat at 14 percent. By February, Buttigieg managed to hold onto his lead with 20 percent support, while Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez were tied at 15 percent.

If you look back at the trends from last year, the field looked very different

This rise for Ocasio-Cortez, who identifies as a democratic socialist, happens while progressive candidates have been gaining more traction on the national stage. We have seen several insurgent campaigns launched against more traditional establishment figures over the last year.

One notable example is the campaign run by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He has quickly become one of the most visible and talked-about members within the party ranks. These shifts seem to be part of a broader trend where the progressive wing of the party is finding more success, especially after democratic socialist candidates secured victories in various Democratic primaries in late June.

The conversation around Ocasio-Cortez is not just limited to a potential presidential run. There have been ongoing calls for her to challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his seat in two years. This reflects the current appetite for new leadership among certain segments of the electorate. She has already shown confidence in her electoral strength as well. Back in December, Ocasio-Cortez highlighted a poll that showed her beating Vice President Vance in a hypothetical presidential match-up.

While these polls in New Hampshire are just a snapshot in time, they provide a very useful look at how the primary voters are feeling right now. If you are interested in how the 2028 field is shaping up, these numbers suggest that the race is already becoming quite competitive. We will have to wait and see how the other potential candidates respond to these numbers in the coming months.

For now, Ocasio-Cortez has captured the attention of the New Hampshire electorate in a way she has not done in previous surveys.