#democratic-candidates

#democratic-candidates

In prior surveys, the Democrats polling the highest typically consisted of former Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. But now, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg led the pack with 19% of respondents choosing him as their preferred Democratic candidate, according to the latest Granite State Poll. Newsom was a close second at 15%, and he was followed Ocasio-Cortez at 14%. Harris finished fourth at 11%.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement Wednesday that she will not run for California governor next year has left the race wide open without a clear frontrunner. For the past eight years, Gavin Newsom has served as governor, and with his second term up, 2026 presents an opportunity for a fresh face to lead the state. There's a large field running of Republicans and Democrats, which includes some well-known figures in the state, but many who voters are not familiar with.

"Running establishment candidates who are chosen or supported by the powers that be in D.C. - in Maine specifically - has been a total failure, certainly in attempts to unseat Susan Collins. It is time for us to try something new."

Over 70 percent of voters filled out all five slots but did not rank Andrew Cuomo, with only 8 percent of voters who ranked Mamdani first also ranking Cuomo.

Candidates in Gotham's mayoral race are calling on each other to drop out to stop the Democratic nominee, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, whom they all see as a threat.

"There's been a shift in the United States away from climate action and I think there are a lot of complicated reasons for that. And the city's politics reflect that too," said Pete Sikora, climate and inequality campaigns director at New York Communities for Change.