A new poll released Oct. 27 shows that former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leads among likely 2028 Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire
In a Granite State Poll conducted earlier this month by the University of New Hampshire, participants were asked who they would support in the Democratic primary if the election were held today.
They were given a list of more than a dozen current and former Democratic politicians to choose from, including Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Buttigieg was favored by 19 percent, while Newsom came in second place (15 percent), followed by Ocasio-Cortez (14 percent). Others included Harris (11 percent), Sanders (8 percent), and Pritzker (6 percent). Ten percent of respondents were undecided, and the remaining candidates received 3 percent or less.
Buttigieg also received the highest favorable rating (81 percent), followed by Sanders (72 percent), Ocasio-Cortez (66 percent) and Newsom (58 percent). Harris was viewed favorably by 55 percent, and Pritzker 47 percent.
Most of Buttigieg’s supporters in the poll identified as liberal (26 percent) or moderate (27 percent), with 14 percent describing themselves as progressive.
Buttigieg was the top choice among women (21 percent), compared with men (19 percent). His support was strongest among high-income voters, with 31 percent of those earning $150,000 or more choosing him, compared with 13 percent of those earning $45,000 or less.
Buttigieg performed well among likely voters of all age groups except those 18 to 34. Among voters in that group, only 1 percent chose Buttigieg, suggesting he is not connecting well with younger voters, 36 percent of whom picked Ocasio-Cortez instead.
According to the poll, nearly half of self-described socialists support Ocasio-Cortez, while progressives tend to prefer Ocasio-Cortez or Newsom. Liberals and moderates tend to favor Buttigieg and Harris.
Newsom received similar levels of support from men (17 percent) and women (15 percent), with his backing also consistent across age groups: 15 percent among voters 18 to 34, 16 percent among those 50 to 64, and 18 percent among those 65 and older.
The poll also queried Republicans about potential candidates they would support in the 2028 Republican primary. Among likely Republican voters, Vice President J.D. Vance was the clear favorite with 51 percent support, well ahead of Nikki Haley (9 percent), Tulsi Gabbard (8 percent), Marco Rubio (5 percent), Sarah Huckabee Sanders (4 percent) and Rand Paul (4 percent). Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy received 3 percent each.
An earlier Emerson College poll of Democratic voters conducted in June showed Buttigieg at 16 percent, Kamala Harris at 13 percent and Gavin Newsom at 12 percent. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came in at 7 percent.