Harris is in trouble. Her political career is quickly circling down the drain.
And Kamala Harris has egg on her face thanks to this humiliating poll.
Kamala Harris Struggles to Gain Ground in Early 2028 Democratic Primary Polling
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is facing an uphill climb as she eyes a potential return to politics. A new Emerson College poll released Friday paints a bleak picture for Harris’s standing among Democratic primary voters, particularly in her home state of California.
According to the survey, California Governor Gavin Newsom leads the early 2028 Democratic primary field with 23% support, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 17%. Harris, who was the Democratic nominee in the failed 2024 presidential bid, is trailing behind at just 11%. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is close behind with 9%.
The poll, conducted August 4–5, 2025, sampled 1,000 active registered voters in California and included a subset of 444 likely Democratic primary voters.
The margin of error for the primary sample is ±4.6 percentage points, offering a snapshot of how Democrats in the nation’s most populous state currently view their potential standard-bearers.
Earlier this year, in May, reports from Breitbart News indicated that some Senate Democrats were uneasy about the prospect of Harris launching another presidential campaign. While she has not formally declared her intentions for 2028, speculation has swirled—especially after her decision not to run for California governor in 2026.
In a July statement, Harris said she had spent the last six months “reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history” and considering the “best way” to “continue fighting for the American people,” according to reports by Breitbart News.
I’m “looking forward to getting back out and listening,” she added, promising to share “more details” about her own political future soon.
That future may be complicated. Harris recently announced that she has written a memoir about her experience as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 election, a campaign that ended in defeat.
The announcement was met with skepticism and ridicule online, with one commenter writing, “A book full of word salad. A must read, I’m sure.”
What the world saw on the campaign trail was only part of the story.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 31, 2025
My new book is a behind-the-scenes look at my experience leading the shortest presidential campaign in modern history.
107 Days is out on September 23. I can't wait for you to read it: https://t.co/G4bkeZB4NZ pic.twitter.com/taUof0L4hs
Adding to the uncertainty is her former 2024 running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who appears to be keeping the door open to his own potential presidential run. While Harris has remained visible, her political prospects have dimmed since her loss to Donald Trump in 2024.
Her defeat marked a significant blow to her political brand. Harris struggled to connect with voters across key demographics, even segments of her own party.
Since then, her popularity within the Democratic base has not recovered. Polling consistently shows lukewarm support for a second presidential run.
any Democrats appear eager to move on, looking instead to figures like Newsom and Buttigieg who, rightly or wrongly, are seen as fresher faces with more momentum.
Even among Leftists, Harris has failed to fully resonate. Her record as a prosecutor, combined with what critics view as inconsistent messaging, continues to hinder her ability to unify the party’s left and center wings.
With the 2028 primary season still a few years away, there’s time for opinions to shift—but for now, Harris remains a distant contender in a race that may be passing her by.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
