Updated Oct. 12, 2026, 8:56 p.m. ET
As buzz around potential 2028 presidential candidates grows, a new poll shows clear frontrunners in hypothetical Democratic and Republican primaries.
In a new Focaldata/Financial Times poll released Sunday, Oct. 11, it was a battle of the VPs: Former Vice President Kamala Harris and current Vice President JD Vance both led their respective party’s potential primary.
According to the survey, Harris leads among Democrats with 30% support, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 15% and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tied at 9%.
On the other side of the aisle, Vance leads with 38% of Republicans, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 24%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis receiving 9% of support from GOP respondents.
The poll surveyed 2,553 U.S. adults from Oct. 2 to Oct. 5, according to Focaldata.
Is anyone running for president?
No, but many have started to signal their potential bids in recent weeks.
In September, Newsom told CNN he would not run in 2028 if Harris decided to campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination again. In a podcast appearance in August, Buttigieg said he was “more inclined than not” to make another run for the White House.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said he was “kicking the tires” at a potential run in 2028 in an appearance on NBC’s“Meet the Press” in August.
On the Republican side, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has fueled speculation about another White House bid.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” Cruz said in August on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s podcast.
Others, like Rubio, haven’t been so direct.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said during an official visit to Colombia in September. “I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100% focused on my job.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
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