Recent polls are showing that the “Democratic brand” is “total and complete garbage in the mind of the American public,” and that the party does not at this point have a clear frontrunner for the 2028 election, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Friday.
“Democrats at this point are historically divided. It is a complete and utter mess. It is messier than a hoarder’s basement,” Enten said on “CNN News Central” Friday morning, adding that at this point, there are no potential contenders for president polling at 25% or higher.
“Normally, that’s where Democrats are,” he said.”[Joe] Biden was at 25% plus in 2020. Hillary Clinton was in ’08 and ’16. [Al] Gore was in ’00 and ’04.”
Polls from The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Gallup have shown low favorability marks for the Democratic Party in recent weeks, reports The Daily Caller.
Enten commented that when it comes to the Democrats’ upcoming presidential primary, “The water is quite warm. If you’re a Democrat potentially thinking about running in 2028, jump right in, because at this point there is no frontrunner.”
He added that the chance that former Vice President Kamala Harris, last year’s Democratic Party nominee, will become the 2028 nominee does not “look too good right now.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the favorite at this point, at 20%, said Enten.
Newsom is followed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at 15%; former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 9%; and Harris and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro are tied for fourth place at 6%, he added.
“If you have any ideas that Kamala Harris is passing up a potential gubernatorial run for 2026 in California and perhaps would be trading up for a presidential bid, the betting markets at this point, simply put, do not buy it,” said Enten.
One of the reasons there are no leading contenders yet in the upcoming race is that at this point, the party’s brand is “in the basement,” he added.
“The Democratic Party’s net favorable rating [has] record lows in all three” polls, said Enten. “Wall Street Journal, 30 points underwater. CNN, 26 points underwater. Gallup, 26 points underwater. That is being driven in large part by discontent within the Democratic base. The Democratic base wants something different.”
Other polls have shown the Democratic Party is in trouble. In May, a Puck/Echelon poll showed likely voters see the party as “liberal, weak, corrupt,” with the party voters most commonly viewing their party as “weak.”
And in July, a Quinnipiac University poll determined that just 19% of voters approve of congressional Democrats, reaching an all-time low for the survey.
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