Recent polling following the midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered major losses, suggests some second-place contenders for the 2028 presidential nominations are gaining ground.
An Economist/YouGov survey put former presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead among potential Democratic nominees, while Vice President JD Vance led the Republican field.
Vance received support from 40% of Republican respondents. Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed at 33%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in third place at 14%.
The Democratic field was more competitive. Harris led with 20% support, followed by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff at 15%. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Pete Buttigieg were the only other Democrats to reach 10%.
Harris’s overall favorability was mixed: 41% viewed her favorably, while 50% held an unfavorable opinion. Vance’s numbers were lower, with 35% viewing him favorably and 52% unfavorably.
Both had lost ground since the same poll in October. Vance’s favorability then stood at 41%, while Harris’s was 43%.
President Donald Trump also received a negative assessment. Thirty-two percent of respondents approved of his job performance, compared with 63% who disapproved.
The survey found more than twice as many respondents opposed Trump’s proposal to build a 250-foot U.S. triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., as supported it. Twenty-two percent favored the project, while 57% opposed it.
The poll surveyed 1,685 U.S. citizens from Monday through Wednesday and had a margin of error of three percentage points.
