California Gov. Gavin Newsom holds a double-digit lead over former Vice President Kamala Harris in a fresh poll of potential 2028 Democratic presidential primary voters in their home state.

The survey by the UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research, conducted in partnership with POLITICO, found 28% of voters leaning toward the Democratic primary backing Newsom, compared to 14% for Harris. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez followed with 12%, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg garnered 11%. Other candidates, including Sens. Mark Kelly and Gov. Josh Shapiro, received single-digit support.

The poll interviewed 1,004 registered voters online in English and Spanish from Feb. 25 to March 3, 2026. Results were weighted based on U.S. Census data and California voter registration files, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. A parallel survey of political and policy influencers in California showed even starker results: 17% for Newsom and just 2% for Harris.

This marks a widening gap from a prior Citrin-POLITICO poll last year, when Newsom led Harris 25% to 19% among registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Poll co-director Jack Citrin, a UC Berkeley political science professor, attributed Newsom's edge to his high visibility as a Trump critic. "All Democrats want to beat Trump, and Newsom has pushed himself to be the most visible opponent among the potential Democratic candidates," Citrin said. "Harris, in some ways, is old news."

Citrin added that voters perceive Newsom as clearly preparing a presidential run, while Harris remains undecided. Newsom, term-limited as governor after January 2027, has toured early primary states to promote his memoir and spoken out against President Donald Trump at international forums. Harris recently said she "might" pursue another presidential bid but has focused on a book tour.

California's heft in the Democratic delegate count makes the poll noteworthy, even though it is not an early primary state. Among all registered voters surveyed, 48% expressed excitement about a potential Newsom candidacy, versus 41% for Harris. A separate national poll of Black voters showed Harris preferred over Newsom, 34% to 14%, highlighting potential challenges for both in a broader primary.

The results, published Thursday, underscore early jockeying in the post-2024 Democratic field amid ongoing national debates over the party's direction.