A new poll has delivered a harsh reality check to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, whose national standing has taken a major blow—only 3% of Democrats named him as the leader of their party, a stinging setback that could seriously undermine any 2028 presidential ambitions. The Economist/YouGov survey paints a bleak outlook for Walz, who has tried to elevate his national profile through social media outreach and progressive messaging. Despite those efforts, he lags well behind more prominent figures like Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Though Walz has recently embarked on a Midwest tour to highlight regional concerns and broaden his appeal, the Democratic base at large appears largely unresponsive. According to the poll, former Vice President Kamala Harris leads the early 2028 field, with 58% of Democrats saying they would consider voting for her in a primary. Walz, by comparison, garners just 38%—tied with Ocasio-Cortez and narrowly ahead of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Worse still, when asked to name their ideal 2028 nominee, fewer than 4% of respondents selected Walz—placing him behind Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and even Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). But the setback goes beyond Walz’s personal appeal. The broader data points to a troubling trend for Democrats as a whole. Just 23% of Americans view the Democratic Party as “united,” while 52% see the Republican Party as more cohesive. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are facing a steep net favorability rating of -29, compared to -13 for their Republican counterparts.
The contrast is especially stark among core voters: 76% of Republicans say they are satisfied or enthusiastic about their party’s leaders, while only 53% of Democrats express the same sentiment toward their own—a troubling enthusiasm gap that could prove politically disastrous. Since the 2024 election, Walz has kept a visible presence on the national stage, hosting rallies and town halls across the country throughout 2025 in an effort to promote Democratic messaging and push back against the new Trump administration.
