As California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris mull 2028 presidential bids, a new poll has revealed how Californians really feel about their leadership.
In a new poll conducted by UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research/Politico, just 37 percent of registered California voters said they would be excited about Newsom running for president.
That number was down 11 percentage points from 48 percent in March.
Harris experienced a larger decline, with only 28 percent of registered California voters supportive of another presidential run by Harris.
In March, that number was 41 percent, a drop of 13 points.
The poll also found that Newsom has substantially more enthusiasm among Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters. Sixty-one percent said they would be excited about a Newsom presidential bid, while 39 percent said they would not.
Harris received less enthusiasm from the same group, with 55 percent saying they would not be excited about her launching another White House campaign.
The survey also asked Democrats to compare the two California politicians’ prospects in a hypothetical 2028 campaign.
California Governor Gavin Newsom rallies in North Carolina over Labor Day Weekend
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the National Bar Association annual convention in June of this year
Forty-nine percent said they believed Newsom would have a higher chance of securing the Democratic presidential nomination, while 10 percent said the same of Harris.
The gap was wider when respondents were asked about a potential general election.
Fifty-nine percent of Democrats surveyed said they believed Newsom would be more likely to win a general election, compared with 9 percent who said Harris would be more likely to prevail, not surprising given her past loss to President Donald Trump in 2024.
The results of the Politico poll offer an early snapshot of attitudes toward two nationally prominent California Democrats with over two years to go before the 2028 presidential election.
In an interview with CNN last week, Newsom told host Jake Tapper that if Harris launches a bid, he will stay out of the race.
‘I wouldn’t run if she ran,’ Newsom told Tapper during an informal interview while the pair were fly-fishing in Montana this month.
The revelation came as Newsom increasingly looks like a potential 2028 contender.
He has said he will make a decision after the 2026 midterms, but his latest comments make clear that Harris’ decision will be an important factor.
Harris, meanwhile, has continued to leave the door open to another presidential campaign.
After a limited schedule of public appearances in the last 18 months, she is reemerging on the campaign trail in the midterm elections, and is set to campaign with Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Tuesday.
