Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is emerging as an early leader in the Democratic Party’s search for a new political direction following the bruising losses of 2024, according to newly released polling that highlights a party still divided over its future leadership and message.
An Emerson College Polling survey released Thursday placed Buttigieg at the top of a hypothetical Democratic presidential primary field with 18 percent support among likely Democratic primary voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom followed closely behind at 16 percent, underscoring how unsettled the race remains years ahead of the 2028 election.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez secured 11 percent support, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Vice President Kamala Harris each received 10 percent. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear trailed with 9 percent support, while a notable 18 percent of respondents said they remained undecided.
The numbers suggest Democratic voters are still weighing what kind of leadership they want after a turbulent election cycle that exposed deep frustrations inside the party. Some voters appear drawn toward high-profile progressive voices, while others continue searching for candidates who can present themselves as more measured and pragmatic in an increasingly tense political climate.
For Buttigieg, the poll represents a modest but noticeable rise in support over recent months. Ocasio-Cortez and Beshear also saw slight gains, while both Newsom and Harris experienced small declines in backing. Though the shifts are not dramatic, they may reflect growing uncertainty among Democratic voters over familiar national figures who have already spent years in the political spotlight.
Buttigieg has done little to quiet speculation about his future ambitions. Speaking last month at the National Action Network conference, he appeared to leave the door open to another presidential run during a lighthearted exchange with Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sharpton referenced their widely publicized meeting during Buttigieg’s previous White House campaign and jokingly asked whether he should reserve another table at Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem ahead of a future run.
“You save me a seat, I’ll be there,” Buttigieg replied, declining to elaborate further.
Meanwhile, Newsom continues to maintain a prominent national profile through repeated clashes with President Donald Trump, positioning himself as one of the Democratic Party’s most visible antagonists to the administration. With his time as governor limited by California term restrictions, speculation around his national ambitions has only intensified.
Harris, despite her 2024 defeat, has also indicated she “might” seek the presidency again, potentially marking a third consecutive campaign for the Oval Office. Her continued presence in the conversation demonstrates how Democrats remain reluctant to fully close the chapter on some of the party’s most recognizable figures.
Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, offered an answer earlier this month that seemed designed to fuel even more speculation about her political future.
“They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat, and my ambition is way bigger than that,” she said. “My ambition is to change this country.”
The Emerson survey was conducted May 24-25 and included 1,000 likely voters overall. The poll carried a credibility interval, similar to a margin of error, of 3 percentage points. Among the smaller sample of 432 likely Democratic primary voters, the credibility interval was 4.7 percentage points.
Even this early, the jockeying inside the Democratic field points to a party trying to redefine itself after years dominated by bitter national divisions, political brinkmanship and ongoing debates over America’s role at home and abroad.
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