Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N. Y.) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio came out ahead in new polling about voters’ preferences for the 2028 presidential election.
The Atlas National Poll asked Democratic and Republican voters to choose whom they would support in the 2028 primaries among possible party contenders.
Twenty-six percent of Democratic voters indicated they would back Ocasio-Cortez’s presidential bid.
Ocasio-Cortez did not rule out a presidential run during a conversation with Democratic strategist David Axelrod last Friday, but she pushed back on assumptions that her political “ambition is positional.”
“They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat, and my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Presidents come and go … elected officials come and go, but single-payer healthcare is forever.”
Additionally, 22.4 percent of those polled supported former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 21.2 percent backed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and 12.9 percent supported former Vice President Kamala Harris.
All three of those Democratic politicians have left the door open for a 2028 bid, but none has made an official move toward running.
On the Republican side, Rubio and Vice President Vance are widely considered the front-runners to succeed President Trump and maintain the GOP’s control of the White House.
Trump has refused to pick between the two, telling attendees at a White House event on Monday that the pair would make for a “perfect ticket” in 2028.
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team,” the president said. “But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
Rubio received 45.4 percent of support from Republican voters in the Atlas survey, while 29.6 percent selected Vance. Additionally, 11.2 percent backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Atlas poll collected responses from a total of 2,069 U. S. adults from May 4-7, with a margin of error of approximately 2 percentage points.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.