The battle of VPs: Former Vice President Kamala Harris and current Vice President JD Vance remain the two frontrunners in their parties' (Democrat and Republican) 2028 presidential primaries, the new poll revealed.
A recent Focaldata/Financial Times poll showed former Vice President Kamala Harris as one of the top frontrunners in a "hypothetical" Democratic primary as buzz around potential 2028 US presidential candidates grows.
Kamala Harris and Vice President JD Vance remain the two frontrunners in their parties' (Democrat and Republican) 2028 presidential primaries, the new poll released Sunday, October 11, revealed.
US polls 2028: Democratic primary frontrunners
The survey revealed that Kamala Harris leads among Democrats with 30 per cent support, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 15 per cent and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tied at 9 per cent, the US Today reported.
Who is the top Republican in the 2028 primary poll?
JD Vance emerged as the most preferred Republican candidate in the hypothetical 2028 primary poll, leading with 38 per cent of the support, the survey showed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed Vance with 24 per cent polling, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received 9 per cent of support from GOP respondents.
The poll surveyed 2,553 US adults from October 2 to October 5, according to Focaldata.
Who may run for President in the 2028 US polls?
While no one has come forward so far to throw their hat in the presidential race, Newsom had told CNN in September that 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 was quoted as saying in August on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s podcast.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hasn'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."
Trump's approval rating slumps
US President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating remained stubbornly low at 34 per cent, Financial Times reported, citing its survey. It claimed that 45 per cent of registered voters said the president was making it harder for Republican candidates to win in November.
Registered voters said they preferred Democrats to Republicans by over 5 percentage points, according to the FT poll, which revealed widespread disagreement with Trump’s policy priorities on artificial intelligence and Iran.
The findings reportedly aligned with the Cook Political Report’s assessment of a deteriorating electoral environment for Republicans. The non-partisan outlet recently moved 18 House races towards Democrats in its rating of race competitiveness and projected that Democrats will gain nine to 19 House seats in November.
In May 2026, Focaldata x Financial Times poll said Donald Trump’s overall approval rating remains fairly stable at 37 per cent in this survey, but a 55 per cent "disapproval share is the highest we have recorded in 2026."