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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has reportedly continued his momentum as the favorite to win the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, according to the latest Emerson College Polling 2028 Democratic Primary poll released on Friday (August 29).
Newsom is reported to have 25% support among respondents, which is a 13% increase since the month of June, when he ranked third behind former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. Buttigieg was reported to be at 16%, the same percentage he had when he led the Democrats in June, while Harris dropped by 2% to 11%.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro dropped 2% to 5%; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dropped 3% to 4%; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker increased by 2% to 4%; and Senator Bernie Sanders dropped 2% to 3%. The number of undecided voters also increased by 7% since June to a total of 23%.
Newsom was previously reported to be the Democratic frontrunner in a POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll surveying Californians earlier this month. The California governor has recently garnered attention by parodying President Donald Trump's social media approach, as well as asserting himself in the opposition of ICE raids within his state, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to counter gerrymandering in Texas and lawsuits challenging Trump's tariffs.