CNN’s polling guru calls the 2028 Democratic field a 'mess'

New polling data from Bowling Green State University and YouGov shows that Democratic voters are deeply divided over who could become the party’s 2028 presidential nominee. The survey, released on CNN’s “News Central,” placed former Vice President Kamala Harris in a tight lead with 17 percent support among Democratic voters.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg followed closely at 16 percent, while Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and California Governor Gavin Newsom each polled at 14 percent. The top four candidates together occupy a narrow slice of a crowded field, leaving the rest of the field with less than 10 percent each.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten described the early primary landscape as exceptionally scattered, noting that the field is “messier than any Democratic field in at least 20 years.” He compared the current situation to the 1992 primary and joked that it is “messier than an airport the Sunday after Thanksgiving.” Enten stressed that there is no clear leader in the group.

Enten also highlighted Harris’s sharp decline from a 45 percent lead in July 2024, when President Biden was exiting the race, to the current 17 percent. He likened the situation to Donald Trump’s early 2024 lead among Republican voters, noting that a 17 percent lead would make Harris consider whether to run again, given her name recognition.

The polling results came hours before Harris was scheduled to join Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed for a campaign stop in Michigan, a battleground state that has reignited questions about her potential 2028 plans, though she has not publicly announced or committed to another campaign.