JUST IN: New Poll Shows Where Hypothetical Newsom-Vance Matchup Stands

A new poll conducted by Leger360 between August 29 and 31, 2025, is causing controversy in the world of U.S. politics, as it projects that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is the frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election.

The results of the survey, which were shared on social media, pitted Newsom against potential GOP candidates, including Vice President JD Vance, former President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The California governor narrowly leads the president by a score of 48 percent to 44 percent, 47 percent to Vance’s 46 percent, and 49 percent to Rubio’s 44 percent.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, which makes these potential races extremely close. Many conservatives are already greeting the survey’s results with a healthy dose of skepticism, primarily due to the methodology employed, as well as the context of Newsom’s political record and recent actions.

Some have pointed out red flags that raise questions about the credibility of the poll. They note that Leger360’s track record, which was the subject of a study completed by the “Journal of Election Studies,” found that Leger overestimated Democratic support by a total of 5 percent. According to the study, this was the result of oversampling urban voters in online panels.

Experts point out that if the current numbers are adjusted to factor this in, Trump’s support could rise to 49 percent, Vance’s to 51 percent, and Rubio’s to 49 percent, which changes the entire narrative and some of the conclusions drawn from the poll.

As MAGA supporters have all but crowned Vance as the man to take over the mantel of leadership for the movement, it’s likely that, with all of the information taken into context, the biggest threat to Newsom’s potential campaign is the vice president.

Newsom recently attempted to reach out to popular conservative podcast host and founder of Talking Point USA, Charlie Kirk, which signals a shift to broaden support. However, many on the political right believe the move is opportunistic, especially given his extreme left-wing policies, like climate regulations, which have strained his state’s economy.

Conservative commentator Arthur Morgan has waved off the results of the Leger survey as nothing more than Democratic propaganda. Others are also viewing them with caution, specifically citing the above-mentioned bias of the company that produced the poll.