Kamala Harris Finishes Third Place in Her Home State in New 2028 Poll

A new Emerson College poll is raising questions about Kamala Harris’ political standing in her home state of California. Just weeks after announcing she won’t be running to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, Harris now finds herself slipping behind in early polling for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

In the survey of about 1,000 California voters (conducted August 4–5), Governor Gavin Newsom led the field with 23 percent, followed by Pete Buttigieg at 17 percent. Harris came in third with 11 percent, just ahead of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 9 percent. For Republicans, JD Vance is far ahead at 40 percent, with Robert F. Kennedy at 10 percent and Ron DeSantis at 9 percent.

This is a noticeable change from national polling in June, where Harris held second place with 13 percent, behind Buttigieg’s 16 percent and slightly ahead of Newsom at 12 percent. Analysts say Harris still has her strongest support among Black Democratic voters and in parts of the Midwest and South, but less so in her own backyard.

Harris’ future has been a subject of speculation since she confirmed she won’t run for governor. In her statement, she said she had “deeply reflected” on her role in public service and decided not to enter the race, even though she described California as her beloved home state.

Meanwhile, with Harris officially out of contention, California’s 2026 governor’s race is wide open. The same poll shows Katie Porter leading with 18 percent, ahead of Republican commentator Steve Hilton at 12 percent.

Whether Harris jumps into the 2028 presidential race is still an open question. For now, her numbers suggest she has a lot of work ahead if she wants to rebuild momentum in her own state.