Politics
NEW: Poll Shows AOC Emerging As 2028 Contender, Spelling Potential Disaster For Democrats
In a development that could upend the Democratic Party’s 2028 hopes, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ((R-NY) has surged to second place in a new national poll of potential Democratic primary contenders, prompting serious concerns about the party’s direction — and its chances in a general election.
The survey, conducted by Quantus Insights from April 21–23, shows former Vice President Kamala Harris leading with 30% support among likely Democratic voters. But the shock came in the second slot: Ocasio-Cortez, the self-described Democratic Socialist and face of the progressive “Squad,” garnered 14% — ahead of more seasoned names like former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
The data has sparked alarm among moderate Democrats and strategists already uneasy about the party’s ideological drift. “She’s not leading the party,” Quantus posted on X, “but more voters now believe she represents it than Biden or Obama.”
That, many argue, is exactly the problem.
In our poll we found @AOC rises—not as a fringe figure, but as a contender.
We found she stands second in the 2028 Dem field at 14%, behind Harris (30%).
She’s not leading the party. But more voters now believe she represents it than Biden or Obama.
The torch is moving. Ready…
— Quantus Insights (@QuantusInsights) April 24, 2025
Despite AOC’s popularity among younger progressives and her media prowess, her policies — from the Green New Deal to calls for dismantling capitalism — remain out of step with mainstream America. Even in a post-pandemic political landscape, where unconventional candidates are the norm, there is little evidence she can capture the Electoral College.
Indeed, the same poll reveals a vacuum of leadership inside the Democratic Party. Harris leads — but only barely. No candidate commands more than a third of the vote. Pete Buttigieg and Cory Booker are tied at 13%, followed by Newsom (7%), Bernie Sanders (6%), and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, both at 5%. A significant 20% responded with “none of the above” or “unsure.”
In other words: Democrats are not rallying around a leader. They’re searching.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at rally in the Bronx with AOC, Bernie and Jamaal in support of re-election of Jamaal Bowman for Congress at St. Mary’s Park in New York on June 22, 2024
And in the absence of clarity, Ocasio-Cortez’s rise fills a void — not necessarily because she’s viewed as electable, but because she offers a bold, uncompromising brand of politics that resonates with a frustrated base.
While Republicans consolidate around President Donald Trump — who begins his second term with 91% approval among GOP voters — Democrats appear to be mired in identity confusion, unsure whether to tack toward the center or embrace the far left.
President Trump’s job approval rating currently sits at 47.7%, with 49.8% disapproving of his performance. His favorability numbers closely mirror this divide, with 46.8% viewing him favorably and 49.3% unfavorably.
In a striking illustration of that divide, the poll found that 50% of Democratic voters want the party to move toward the middle, while the other half want it to stay on its current progressive track — or go further left.
And for a party seeking to rebuild its post-Biden identity, a fragmented field led by a deeply polarizing figure like AOC may prove to be less a rebirth — and more a recipe for collapse.
