Fallen..

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has opened a substantial early lead over California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a new Rasmussen Reports poll.

 The survey found that Harris received 37% support, compared with 14% for Newsom and 9% for Ocasio-Cortez, giving her a 23-point advantage over her closest tested rival. The result strengthens Harris’ position in this particular survey, although the 2028 field remains unsettled and no major Democrat has formally entered the race.

Ocasio-Cortez’s 9% support marks a decline from the 11% she received in May. Her slide comes while democratic socialism remains a prominent force in parts of the party. However, Syracuse University political science professor Grant Davis Reeher cautioned against reading too much into one early survey.

 “It is interesting that AOC has fallen, given the rising star of democratic socialism in Democratic primaries. Maybe there is some buyer’s remorse that’s being reflected in that poll. It’s still very early, and my hunch remains that Kamala Harris’ support is soft (although she has a core of staunch supporters),” Reeher said.