Pete Buttigieg Ahead in 2028 Democratic Race, But Is a Candidate Waiting to Steal the Spotlight?

Recent polls from Emerson College and Atlas Intel indicate Pete Buttigieg is the frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Emerson’s June 2025 poll shows Buttigieg leading with 16% support, surpassing Kamala Harris at 13%, Gavin Newsom at 12%, Josh Shapiro at 7%, and Bernie Sanders at 5%, with 23% undecided. Atlas Intel’s May 2025 poll reinforces this, giving Buttigieg 31.5% support, ahead of Harris (16.6%), Newsom (7.1%), and Shapiro (4.8%), with Sanders trailing. Harris’s support has slipped since November 2024, while Newsom gained from recent high-profile actions. However, with nearly a quarter of voters undecided, the Democratic field remains open. Could an unexpected candidate emerge to shake up the race?