Vice President Kamala Harris leads the early race for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination with 26% support, according to an Echelon Insights survey of registered voters conducted Aug. 14-18. California Governor Gavin Newsom climbs to 13%, a three-point gain since April, edging further ahead of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on 11%. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez secures 6%, while Senator Cory Booker polls at 5% and Representative Jasmine Crockett at 3%. Within the same poll, Harris maintains a clear advantage among Black Democratic voters, taking 35% versus Crockett’s 11% and Newsom’s 8%. On the Republican side, Ohio Senator JD Vance remains the frontrunner with 43%, while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are tied at 9%. Financial betting platforms echo the polling shift. Kalshi traders now assign Newsom a 20% chance of becoming the Democratic nominee, the highest reading to date, while Polymarket briefly marked his odds at 24%. The rise underscores growing speculation that the California governor will mount a 2028 bid despite Harris’s early lead.