# Frontrunners for Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, {DO NOT rehash past candidates} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 16, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036 "2025-01-16T06:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 119
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2372 "2026-09-01T18:46:30Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > The combination sounds a bit creepy. Don’t knock it 'til you try it! ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2373 "2026-09-01T18:53:08Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > You’ll need, as Roosevelt said to “Welcome their hatred” and fight them tooth and nail. “Welcome their hatred” was atypical for FDR, and his policies were hardly far left. And in as much as he did get big and important legislation through Congress, like Social Security, he did it only when he had congressional supermajorities. Maybe what the Democratic nominee needs is to have a few “Welcome their hatred” type of lines in their speeches, to satisfy the progressives, and then do the best job possible in our normally center/center-right country, following the law, and dependent on whether the Democrats have workable congressional majorities. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2374 "2026-09-01T18:55:59Z")
An interesting survey found that about one in six Trump voters would not vote for him again. That sounds small but if they reran the election today Harris would win comfortably. > **[One out of six Trump voters says they wouldn't vote for him again](https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-08-30-sunday-roundup)** > > Plus, a few articles on why polling isn't broken #ackshually, and YouGov’s LV-RV gap. Your weekly political data roundup for August 30, 2026. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2375 "2026-09-01T19:28:08Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > and his policies were hardly far left. For the time they where as hard to the left as possible in the U.S. and even a bit more so. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2376 "2026-09-01T19:51:27Z")
Yes, FDR was definitely far left by the standards of the time. Obviously there were people further to his left criticizing him, but for the most part they weren’t winning any elections. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2377 "2026-09-02T02:21:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > So…prisons? Re-education camps? Firing squads? Hey, I’m easy…I’ll settle for forced migration to other countries. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I completely understand intense frustration and anger at Trump and his supporters, but you’re asking for either (a) a fantasy, or (b) a bloodbath. And, _realistically_, that’s not a platform that is going to actually get a candidate elected, as viscerally exciting as it may be to some people. In the immortal words of Darth Cheney, you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs. I think we are beyond the point of “healing the harms, getting the country and the world moving forward in a better direction”. A sizable chunk of the ones who voted for tRump three times _like_ the direction the country has taken, regardless of the fact that it has impacted them personally (e.g. farmers…on the verge of bankruptcy thanks to the tariffs and such, but they would vote for tRump for a third term). They are willing to see themselves living in a cardboard box on a street corner if it means shipping immigrants off a third-world country…or to a gas-chamber. Look upward a few posts: five out of six tRump voters would vote for him again, even given the dumpster fire we are living in today. We are not going to convince these people of the errors of their ways. They are beyond redemption. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2378 "2026-09-02T02:27:31Z")
**Moderating:** I think we have had enough of a conversation _for this thread_ on the rehabilitation of Trump supporters. It is better suited to either of these threads: > [@Necessity of De-Trumpification, and to what extent?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/necessity-of-de-trumpification-and-to-what-extent/1032628): > > So I’ve seen a lot of chatter on here about how in 2028 if the Democratic nominee wins the Presidency, or the Democrats somehow win an unassailable majority of both houses of Congresss, there are a bunch of things they should do right away, including tear down the White House ballroom, restore various things, and so forth. Is this wise? Not in the sense of is it wise to do any of those things in an absolute sense, but I mean in a political sense. Are we thinking voters will have voted Democr… or > [@What happens after Trump?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-after-trump/1030975): > > Assuming that the U.S. avoids becoming an authoritarian dictatorship, what happens when Liberals regain power? ISTM that the current regime has stretched their agenda to the breaking point. When the giant rubber band snaps, there will be backlash. Will the backlash be so great as to undo decades of Republican gains? Will it be great enough to dismantle the oligarchy? To make the rich pay their fair share? What if it does? Would that alienate ‘Red states’ to the point of rebellion? Or wil… If specific candidates are discussing how they intend to take defined steps, of course it would be appropriate to mention it here, but let’s keep the focus on the actual campaigning points of the probable frontrunners. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2379 "2026-09-02T04:33:23Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > In the immortal words of Darth Cheney, you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs. I think we are beyond the point of “healing the harms, getting the country and the world moving forward in a better direction”. A sizable chunk of the ones who voted for tRump three times _like_ the direction the country has taken, regardless of the fact that it has impacted them personally (e.g. farmers…on the verge of bankruptcy thanks to the tariffs and such, but they would vote for tRump for a third term). They are willing to see themselves living in a cardboard box on a street corner if it means shipping immigrants off a third-world country…or to a gas-chamber. > > Look upward a few posts: five out of six tRump voters would vote for him again, even given the dumpster fire we are living in today. We are not going to convince these people of the errors of their ways. They are beyond redemption. Please tell me what _ **any** _ of that has to do with who will be Democratic nominee in 2028? Other than “I want someone who will satisfy my desire for a purge?” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2380 "2026-09-02T17:08:07Z")
So recapping where we are sitting with actual possible candidates - Ossoff is getting buzz and is moving up in betting markets and polling. As potential voters hear about him they generally like him as a fresh face to them. And while he doesn’t say he is running he is showing where someone who is running shows up. Buttigieg has the advantage and disadvantage of already being known and is also apparently spending time where he woukd need to be spending time as a candidate: > **[Pete Buttigieg returns to South Carolina as he weighs another White House run](https://apnews.com/article/buttigieg-black-voters-south-carolina-2028-president-53f9ff5a74cd5e1cdaa677fc95e58a39)** > > Pete Buttigieg was in South Carolina this weekend as he considers a second presidential campaign. South Carolina Democrats halted his 2020 run when he failed to connect with Black voters. And while head to heads don’t mean too much now they do mean something when people are known. Ossoff, Buttigieg, and Newsome (even as his trajectory falls) do well against Rubio or Vance. > **[August 2026 National Poll: Democrats Lead Congressional Ballot by Eight...](https://emersoncollegepolling.com/august-2026-national-poll/)** > > 23% of Voters Consider Themselves Supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America A new Emerson…Full Release & Results AOC of course has to be taken seriously especially if the center left and establishment lanes get split. Kelly would be highly electable in a general election I think but not expecting him to get enough traction in the first set of primaries to last. Would be more a spoiler. A better VP candidate maybe? Pritzker can afford to endure but if Ossoff emerges as leading the lane he should back down. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2381 "2026-09-02T18:31:25Z")
It’s early yet, but if that head to head data is replicated in other polls, it’s bad news for Harris and AOC. And neither of them, especially Harris, are exactly unknown to most voters at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2382 "2026-09-02T18:54:04Z")
Personally, AOC will probably always be my top choice if she chooses to run, but Ossoff has emerged as the clear Plan B. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2383 "2026-09-02T19:00:12Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Buttigieg has the advantage and disadvantage of already being known and is also apparently spending time where he woukd need to be spending time as a candidate: But, but- he lost the election when he ran for president, and was part of the “disastrous” Biden presidency, so he is disqualified- or so some posters claim. 🙄 🙀 Ossoff also lost an election once, so he is a LOSER!!! 🙄 Harris is leading in early polling- > **[2028 Democratic Presidential Nomination - 270toWin](https://www.270towin.com/2028-democratic-nomination/)** > > Public opinion polling for the 2028 democratic nomination. > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > It’s early yet, but if that head to head data is replicated in other polls, it’s bad news for Harris and AOC. For Harris- only if Rubio is the GOP candidate, but Vance is _much_ more likely. > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > but Ossoff has emerged as the clear Plan B. According to some posters, Ossoff can not win as he is Jewish. 🙄 Newsom generally outpolls everyone but Harris, except that Qantas poll, which is an outlier. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2384 "2026-09-02T20:13:12Z")
Didn’t Giuliani leads polls in 2007? > **[President Giuliani? A brief history of polling flops past](https://www.ms.now/msnbc/president-giuliani-short-history-polling-flops-msna679381)** > > Remember President Rudy Giuliani? President Hillary Clinton? We don't either, because September polling giants have a long history of losing primary battles. > **September 2007:** Fourteen months before the open election, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was dominating the Republican primary with [32% support from likely Republican primary voters](http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/wsj070912_sept07-poll.pdf), trailed by the former senator and “Law & Order” star Fred Thompson, who netted 26%. The eventual nominee, Sen. John McCain, had just 14% of primary voters’ support. > > On the left, Hillary Clinton was dominating polls with 44% of Democratic primary voters. Her main challenger, Sen. Barack Obama, had 23% of the primary vote in September, but he’d slowly climb through national surveys until March of the next year, when they’d tie in the polls. [By summer](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/WSJ_NBC_SURVEY_June2008.pdf), he’d bested Clinton by double digits in the polls, leading her to end her [campaign in June.](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08dems.html?ref=politics&_r=0) > > **September 2003:** A late [September poll](http://online.wsj.com/documents/poll20030924.pdf)showed the Democratic field torn on who would challenge incumbent George W. Bush in his bid for reelection. Howard Dean led the pack with 17%, trailed closely by Gen. Wesley Clark and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman with 16% each. > > The eventual nominee, Sen. John Kerry, had just 11% of the vote. It is an interesting question really - what is predictive at this point? I’d WAG unfavorable over 50 is a strong negative. Next is fav to unfav in general. Can’t be too underwater and win. If those who know if you overwhelmingly don’t like you, not good. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2385 "2026-09-02T20:50:25Z")
And of course there was the unstoppable Jed! juggernaut of spring 2015. I think you are right that favorability ratings are more important than horse race polls at this point. We can fairly confidently predict that the nominee will be someone most Democrats have at least heard of at this point and who isn’t widely disliked within the Party. That doesn’t really narrow the field much. Are there even any major Democrats who are underwater with Democratic voters? ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2386 "2026-09-02T20:59:43Z")
Well, [this source](https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1898&context=survey_center_polls) is nearly a year old, but it suggests there are two: Rahm Emanuel and Stephen A. Smith 🤣 That tracks. Buttigieg is a big outlier with a +75 favorability with only 4% unfamiliar. Second is Bernie, and third is AOC with +56 and 94% familiarity. Harris, of course, has near-total familiarity but is “only” +37. Newsom, Pritzker and Kelly are all in the mid-forties, but Newsom is largely a known quality, while many more voters are still unfamiliar with Pritzker and Kelly, so their potential ceiling is higher. Comedy relief: the only Republicans underwater with their own Party are Nikki Haley and Brian Kemp. The third _most_ popular potential Republican candidate, after Vance and Rubio, is Tulsi Gabbard. I hate this timeline. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2387 "2026-09-02T22:45:25Z")
I think it’s way to early for polls to be predictive. But tell me about Ossoff. That name is unfamiliar to me. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2388 "2026-09-03T00:10:36Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But tell me about Ossoff. That name is unfamiliar to me. Senator from Georgia. He ran as the Democratic nominee in 2020 against incumbent Republican David Perdue, whom he beat in a runoff (neither had a majority of votes in the general election). He was 33 years old when he was elected (he’s now 39), and is running for re-election to the seat this fall. He’s generally seen as a moderate Democrat on most issues. He’s very critical of Trump, but he also works with Republicans when it comes to doing work for his constituents. He’s an excellent speaker. He is Jewish, and his wife is an OB/GYN physician. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2389 "2026-09-03T00:16:28Z")
ninja-ed by **kenobi\_65**. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2390 "2026-09-03T00:21:54Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > It is an interesting question really - what is predictive at this point? > > I’d WAG unfavorable over 50 is a strong negative. Well, then, why bother to have this thread at all? Only if that number is still there in 2028. And even so, I do not care if the MAGAs do not like her. They aint voting for any Dem anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036/2391 "2026-09-03T00:34:53Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He was 33 years old when he was elected (he’s now 39), and is running for re-election to the seat this fall. …and has explicitly and repeatedly said he is NOT running for president in 2028. While granted that is pretty common boilerplate two years before an election, campaign seasons are getting longer and longer. At some point he would have to throw his hat in the ring in a more direct way or give clear signs he is likely to by hedging his statements more, probably by earlyish 2027. But at age 39 with two kids currently under 5 years old, 2032 when his second senate term ends (if he wins this year, which is likely) would line up a lot more neatly. If I were a betting man, I’d bet Ossoff doesn’t run this time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036.md?page=118) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frontrunners-for-democratic-presidential-nomination-in-2028-do-not-rehash-past-candidates/1013036.md?page=120)