The Democrats have already taken a hit in the polls even two years before the 2028 presidential election.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has gained significant support compared to the previous poll and is now virtually tied with presumptive GOP nominee JD Vance at 35%, according to the Emerson College poll.

While the vice president maintains a one-point lead, with 36% of voters likely to support him as the Republican nominee, he appears to have lost more than 15 points in support after polling at 52% in February of this year.

Rubio, who has become the face of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, picked up significant support, rising from just 20%.

Backing for Democratic contenders waned overall, with no candidate receiving more than 20% support in a crowded field that included Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris.

While nearly every Democrat saw a slight increase, Newsom and Harris — arguably the more nationally recognized figures — saw declines.

The new poll found Newsom dropped four points from 20% in February, while Harris fell three points from 13%.

Governors Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear also saw slight increases, rising from 7% to 10% and from 5% to 9%, respectively.

On the conservative side, other candidates included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senators Ted Cruz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., all of whom polled significantly behind Rubio and Vance at below 5%.

Similarly, on the liberal bloc, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker and Silicon Valley Representative Ro Khanna polled at or below 5%.

The poll was conducted May 24–25 and surveyed 1,000 likely voters.

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