California Governor Gavin Newsom is now leading the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, according to a recent Echelon Insights poll conducted from January 22 to 26 among 502 likely Democratic voters. Newsom tops the field with 27 percent support, ahead of former Vice President Kamala Harris at 21 percent and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 9 percent.

Other candidates include Pete Buttigieg at 8 percent, Senator Kelly at 4 percent, Gretchen Whitmer, J.B. Pritzker, and Josh Shapiro each at 3 percent, with Cory Booker also at 3 percent. Raphael Warnock and Andy Beshear are at 2 percent, while smaller-name candidates like Maura Moore, Rahm Emanuel, Phil Murphy, Jared Polis, John Fetterman, Ro Khanna, and Ruben Gallego trail with 1 percent or lower.

The poll suggests a competitive Democratic primary with Newsom and Harris emerging as the clear front-runners, while progressive and midwestern candidates remain in the lower tier. Analysts note that early polling gives Newsom momentum in key early states, particularly among West Coast and suburban voters.

Newsom has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump, frequently criticizing his policies on immigration, climate, and social issues

Echelon Insights, rated A for reliability, cautions that these numbers reflect early primary sentiment and could shift significantly as the field evolves over the next two years leading up to the first votes in 2028.