AOC surged to first place in the latest 2028 Democratic presidential primary poll by AtlasIntel, the first to show the New York progressive leading her potential rivals.
Early polls are not always predictive of final outcomes, but they do have major implications for candidates. Donors and voters use polls to gauge whether a candidate is viable, so the numbers matter to a candidate's ability to fundraise and garner media attention. They also measure initial name recognition among potential candidates.
This poll is especially notable because AtlasIntel was ranked the most accurate polling company of the 2024 election by survey veteran Nate Silver and was previously named the most accurate pollster of the 2020 election by 538.
The new AtlasIntel poll found Ocasio-Cortez leading among a crowded field of potential Democratic candidates, with 26 percent of respondents saying they would vote for her in the primary.
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg followed with 22.4 percent, while California Governor Gavin Newsom received 21.2 percent of support in the poll. Former Vice President Kamala Harris received the backing of 12.9 percent of respondents.
No other candidates received double-digit support in the poll, which surveyed 2,069 U.S. adults from May 4-7, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
