Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ranked as the most exciting potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate among registered Massachusetts voters in a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll on Wednesday.
The poll was released on the heels of former Vice President Kamala Harris saying she is “thinking about” another run at the White House.
Why It Matters
Early positioning by potential candidates has carried added weight, as polling since 2025 has suggested close hypothetical contests between Vice President JD Vance and prominent Democrats, while highlighting uncertainty within both parties.
Within the Democratic field, surveys in 2026 showed Harris leading prospective primary voters overall in many polls, with California Governor Gavin Newsom and New York U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also drawing measurable support, along with Buttigieg.
No candidate has officially announced their candidacy.
What To Know
According to the poll, Buttigieg, 44, who also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer—leads the pack of choices for “which potential Democratic candidate for president excites you most” for 2028. Buttigieg tops the list with 23.4 percent, followed by Newsom’s 17.4 percent and Ocasio-Cortez’s 14 percent. Harris has 7 percent, the poll shows.
The poll surveyed 500 registered Massachusetts voters from April 9 to April 13 and has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.
According to CNN, Harris won the state in the 2024 presidential election 61.2 percent to President Donald Trump’s 36 percent.
Similarly, in New Hampshire, an Emerson College poll found Buttigieg leading the prospective 2028 Democratic field with 19.7 percent, followed by Ocasio-Cortez at 11.8 percent and Newsom at 11.6 percent, with a 2.9-point margin of error.
A separate Saint Anselm College survey showed him at 29 percent, ahead of Newsom’s 15 percent and Ocasio-Cortez’s 10 percent, with a 2.5-point margin of error.
When asked about a Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll showing Harris in the lead and whether the results were surprising, Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek last month: “Not at all, given where we are. Harris has not taken herself out of contention, and given that she was the nominee in 2024, and that many elements of the Democratic Party feel some guilt over the outcome, it doesn’t surprise me that she is at the top. I still think she’d be a potentially disastrous pick for the Party; not the best shot it has of retaking the White House in 2028.
“I’m also not surprised by Newsom being number two. He’s been actively campaigning for the spot, is the governor of California, and has been very visible in his attacks on President Trump. I also still think he would not be a particularly good pick for the Democrats, though he is better than Harris. As others come forward, I’d expect to see the field get crowded and much more competitive.”
What Happens Next
Potential 2028 candidates are expected to begin formal announcements after the 2026 midterm elections.
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