An early look at potential Democratic presidential candidates shows U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leading the field in New Hampshire.
A new University of New Hampshire poll found 22% of voters in the state said they would support Ocasio-Cortez. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ranked second.
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Sen. Mark Kelly, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Bernie Sanders rounded out the top five potential Democratic contenders.
A poll conducted in February found Buttigieg led Ocasio-Cortez at the time. Ocasio-Cortez had a 64% favorability rating among likely Democratic primary voters, while Buttigieg’s favorability rating was 69%. Sanders was the only other Democrat with a favorability rating above 60%.
On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance is considered the front-runner, with support from 36% of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire. He leads Secretary of State Marco Rubio by about 10 percentage points. In a February poll, Vance received support from 50% of respondents. No other Republican hopeful polled above 10%.
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The New Hampshire primary is considered important because it has historically been among the first contests on the presidential nominating calendar. In 2024, Democrats attempted to move New Hampshire’s primary later in the cycle. As a result, President Joe Biden did not place his name on the ballot.
It remains unclear whether Democrats will restore New Hampshire’s early position on the primary calendar.