{"id":2601682,"date":"2026-05-12T12:58:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-and-rubio-lead-party-primaries-in-2028-according-to-new-poll\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T13:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:01:14","slug":"aoc-and-rubio-lead-party-primaries-in-2028-according-to-new-poll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-and-rubio-lead-party-primaries-in-2028-according-to-new-poll\/","title":{"rendered":"AOC and Rubio lead party primaries in 2028 according to new poll"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Faoc-and-rubio-lead-party-primaries-in-2028-according-to-new-poll%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601682&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A new Atlas Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults in early May suggests that Marco Rubio is the leading Republican choice and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the leading Democratic choice for a hypothetical 2028 presidential field. Among Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez narrowly beats Pete Buttigieg, with Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris in a lower tier, while Rubio leads Republicans over JD Vance by 45.4% to 29.6%, with Ron DeSantis third.<\/p>\n<p>The article notes that none of the candidates has formally announced a 2028 run, though both parties\u2019 figures are engaging in activities that fuel speculation. It also finds that only Barack and Michelle Obama have net-positive public images among a broader list of politicians,and that Democrats are favored over Republicans by 54% to 46% if the 2026 election were held today. Despite this, many respondents say the Democratic Party is facing a leadership crisis.<\/p>\n<p>On current issues, the poll reports opposition to Trump\u2019s decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-fully-ready-to-launch-military-strikes-against-iran-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Israel \u2018fully ready\u2019 to launch military strikes against ... - Washington Examiner\">launch military strikes<\/a> on Iran (59%) and lists inflation and the cost of living as the most pressing problems. It adds that 59.8% disapprove of Trump\u2019s job performance, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >amid rising energy prices tied<\/a> to the Iran conflict and an April inflation rate of 3.8%, the highest since 2023.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>A new poll of adults in the United States found that Secretary of State <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"51\">Marco Rubio<\/a> and Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alexandria-ocasio-cortez\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"282\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> (D-NY) are the top choices in their respective parties for the 2028 presidential <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"802\">election<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.atlasintel.org\/polls\/general-release-polls\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.atlasintel.org\/polls\/general-release-polls\">Atlas Polls<\/a> surveyed more than 2,000 Americans in early May on their views of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a>, upcoming national elections, and the biggest challenges facing the country.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4564234\/democrats-bait-and-switch-boost-nebraska-independent-candidate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats rally behind a bait-and-switch ploy to boost Nebraska independent candidate<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4562941\/spencer-pratt-pledges-swift-arrests-los-angeles\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spencer Pratt pledges swift arrests in Los Angeles crime crackdown<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4562596\/jeff-landry-45000-discarded-ballots-suspended-louisiana-primaries\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jeff Landry dismisses concerns about 45,000 discarded ballots after suspended primaries: \u2018It\u2019s not my fault\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2028-election\">2028 election<\/h2>\n<p>The survey asked respondents which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrat\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"475\">Democrat<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"926\">Republican<\/a> they would support in a crowded hypothetical 2028 primary field featuring several figures who have floated potential presidential bids.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Among Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez narrowly edged out former Transportation Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-buttigieg\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"410\">Pete Buttigieg<\/a>, while Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1426\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA) and former Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"748\">Kamala Harris<\/a> trailed in third and fourth place.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0px; padding: 66.7% 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; will-change: transform;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/4bfb91ce-94e8-483d-8b96-3d9a5ceddc95?src=embed&#038;embed_type=responsive_iframe\" title=\"2028 presidential election poll\" allowfullscreen allow=\"fullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0px; left: 0px; border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>None of the candidates has formally announced a campaign for 2028, though several have signaled interest through public appearances and political travel.<\/p>\n<p>During a May 8 interview with Obama adviser David Axelrod at the University of Chicago\u2019s Institute of Politics, Ocasio-Cortez was asked whether she was considering a run for Senate Minority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"384\">Chuck Schumer\u2019s<\/a> (D-NY) seat or a presidential bid.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4561678\/aoc-loftier-goals-oval-office\/\"><strong>AOC OFFERS LOFTIER GOALS THAN THE OVAL OFFICE: \u2018MY AMBITION IS WAY BIGGER THAN THAT\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey assume my ambition is positional,\u201d she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4561678\/aoc-loftier-goals-oval-office\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4561678\/aoc-loftier-goals-oval-office\/\">said<\/a>. \u201cMy ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg has also fueled speculation about a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"125\">White House<\/a> run, testing his messaging in key states including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-hampshire\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"572\">New Hampshire<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"524\">South Carolina<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"655\">Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On the Republican side, respondents favored Rubio over Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"7658\">JD Vance <\/a>by a wide margin, 45.4% to 29.6%, with Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-desantis\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"575\">Ron DeSantis<\/a> (R-FL) in third place.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Rubio drew attention from Republicans after stepping in for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8767\">White House<\/a> press secretary during a briefing, reigniting speculation about a 2028 bid.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4563988\/trump-vance-rubio-ticket-2028-president\/\"><strong>TRUMP SAYS VANCE AND RUBIO \u2018PERFECT TICKET\u2019 FOR 2028: \u2018DREAM TEAM\u2019 <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> praised the possibility of a future Vance-Rubio ticket.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a perfect ticket,\u201d the president <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4563988\/trump-vance-rubio-ticket-2028-president\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4563988\/trump-vance-rubio-ticket-2028-president\/\">said<\/a>. \u201cBy the way, I do believe that\u2019s a dream team, but these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-democratic-and-republican-leadership\">Democratic and Republican leadership<\/h2>\n<p>The poll also found that only former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"360\">Barack Obama<\/a> and former first lady <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michelle-obama\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"841\">Michelle Obama<\/a> held net-positive public images, at 52% and 51% favorable, respectively, in a crowded list of U.S. politicians. Newsom posted a 34% favorable rating, while Vance stood at 37%.<\/p>\n<p>Asked which party they would support if the 2026 election were held today, respondents favored Democrats over Republicans by an 8-point margin, 54% to 46%.<\/p>\n<p>The survey also found Democrats were more trusted than Republicans on every major issue category tested, despite 79% of respondents saying the Democratic Party is facing a leadership crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The findings come as both parties prepare for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">2026 midterm elections<\/a>, with major debates looming over redistricting, inflation, and foreign policy.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-current-events-and-the-economy\">Current events and the economy<\/h2>\n<p>The poll found that 59% of respondents opposed Trump\u2019s decision to launch military strikes on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iran<\/a>. Since the war began on Feb. 28, gas and oil prices have climbed, adding to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-democrats-can-adjust-for-2026-elections-and-2028-presidential-race\/\" title=\"How ... can adjust for ...s and 2028 presidential race\">broader economic concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A fragile ceasefire remains in place between the United States, Iran, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"219\">Israel<\/a>, though Trump said Monday the agreement was effectively on \u201clife support\u201d after criticizing Iran\u2019s response during negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievably weak, I would say,\u201d the president said when asked whether the ceasefire remains intact. \u201cI would call it the weakest, right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn\u2019t even finish reading it. I said, they\u2019re going to waste my time reading it. I would say it\u2019s one of the weakest \u2014 right now, it\u2019s on life support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/4563753\/inflation-april-iran-energy-prices\/\"><strong>INFLATION ROSE TO 3.8% IN APRIL, HIGHEST SINCE 2023, AS IRAN WAR RAISED ENERGY PRICES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The poll also found that 59.8% disapproved of Trump\u2019s job performance, while respondents identified inflation and the cost of living as the country\u2019s most pressing issues.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/4563753\/inflation-april-iran-energy-prices\/\">Inflation rose<\/a> to 3.8% in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday, marking the highest annual increase since 2023 as higher energy prices linked to the Iran war added to underlying price pressures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New U.S. poll: Rubio leads GOP, AOC leads Democrats for 2028-Atlas Polls<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2601683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-v1geo553c-1778601968961.jpg?1778590214&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[41461,8334,33593,79528,5438],"class_list":["post-2601682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2028-election","tag-aoc","tag-new-poll","tag-party-primaries","tag-rubio"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-v1geo553c-1778601968961.jpg?1778590214&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601682"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601686,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601682\/revisions\/2601686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}