Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #27531

For Majority of Democrats, Current Leader of Party Not a White Man... As White House Fiddles With Tariffs and 401(k) Plans Burn, Democrats Split over Whether Party Has a Leader & Just Who That Might Be: Fresh research of 885 Democrats nationwide show a party looking for a leader during turbulent times, according to our latest SurveyUSA polling. Just 39% of self-identified Democrats say there is a Democrat who they view as the leader of the party right now; slightly more, 42%, say there is no such person. Another 19% aren't sure. When all Democrats are asked who they would most view as the leader of the party right now if they had to choose someone ... 19% say Kamala Harris, the 2024 nominee for President. Harris is the top choice of most – not all – demographic subgroups, and is especially strong among conservative Dems (30% of whom choose her) and among 18 to 34-year-olds, Asian Americans, and those with high school educations (each 27%). Harris is stronger in the South (24%) than other regions of the country. 17% choose former President Barack Obama. Obama is tied with Harris among Black Democrats (25%), moderates (21%), and among Latino Democrats (20%); Obama is the first choice of those in urban areas (21%), 50 to 64-year-olds (20%), those who have attended some college (20%), of Northeast and Midwest Dems (19%), and of Democratic men (17%). 14% pick US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey in the wake of his 25 hour, 5 minute floor speech. Booker is the first choice of Democrats over age 65 (20%), of liberal Democrats (20%), of those with 4-year college degrees (18%), and of white Dems (16%); he also ties for first with Obama at 16% among those earning more than $80k annually. While SurveyUSA does not break out responses by individual states in this report, we do note that among New Jersey Democrats, the top choices were Booker 36%, Harris 24%, and Obama 24%. 8% choose NY-14 Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC sees a high of 14% among somewhat liberal voters and is at 12% among both very liberal Dems and 18 to 34-year olds. Perhaps unexpectedly, Ocasio-Cortez does better in rural areas (12%) than in suburban (10%) or urban (4%) ones. 8% also choose Vermont's independent US Senator, Bernie Sanders – the highest-finishing white male in the field. With 58% of Democrats selecting Harris, Obama, Booker, or AOC, all of whom finished ahead of Sanders, and another 14% selecting Hakeem Jeffries (8%), Hillary Clinton (3%), or Jasmine Crocket (3%), 72% of Democrats identify someone who is not a white male as the leader of the Democratic party. Sanders sees a high of 11% in rural areas, where like AOC, he outperforms his numbers in the suburbs (8%) and in urban areas (6%). House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is also at 8%, but twice as strong, 16%, among seniors, where he finishes second to Booker. Jeffries' Senate counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is at 6% overall, with a high of 8% among conservative Dems and in the Northeast. California Governor Gavin Newsom is at 4% overall, 11% in the West. Former President Joe Biden is also the top choice of 4%. Four other Democrats each take 3%: Hillary Clinton, Tim Walz, Pete Buttigieg, and Jasmine Crocket. 2% say they would pick someone else as the current leader of the party. Fully crosstabbed results follow ...

About the Poll / Filtering: SurveyUSA interviewed 3,000 US adults age 18+ online 04/02/25 through 04/06/25, using non-probability sample provided by Lucid Holdings LLC of New Orleans. Of the adults, 2,491 were identified by SurveyUSA as being registered to vote; of the registered voters, 885 identified themselves as Democrats and were asked the substantive questions which follow. The pool of adult survey respondents was weighted to US Census American Community Survey targets for gender, age, race, education, region and home ownership.

1	Are you registered to vote?

3000 Adults	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Parent		Ideology					Ideology Aggregated			Progressive		POTUS Vote		Education			Income			Home		Urbanicity			US Census Region
Credibility Interval: ± 1.6 pct points		Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian /	Yes	No	Very Con	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Very Lib	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Yes	No	Trump	Harris	High Sch	Some Col	4-Year C	< $40K	$40K - $	> $80K	Own	Rent	Urban	Suburban	Rural	Northeas	Midwest	South	West
Yes	83%	85%	81%	76%	82%	87%	89%	79%	88%	86%	82%	78%	75%	85%	83%	89%	88%	80%	89%	90%	88%	80%	89%	100%	100%	95%	97%	75%	84%	92%	74%	88%	90%	89%	73%	84%	85%	79%	86%	87%	80%	83%
No	16%	14%	17%	22%	17%	12%	10%	20%	11%	13%	17%	20%	24%	14%	16%	10%	12%	19%	11%	10%	11%	19%	10%	-	-	5%	3%	23%	16%	7%	25%	11%	10%	11%	25%	16%	14%	20%	14%	13%	18%	17%
Not Sure	1%	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	0%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	0%	2%	1%	0%	1%	2%	1%	-	-	0%	0%	2%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	2%	1%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Adults	100%	49%	51%	29%	24%	24%	22%	54%	46%	60%	12%	17%	11%	28%	71%	15%	17%	40%	11%	12%	32%	40%	22%	60%	25%	38%	36%	38%	29%	33%	39%	36%	24%	65%	35%	30%	47%	23%	18%	21%	38%	23%

2	Do you consider yourself a ... ?

2491 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Parent		Ideology					Ideology Aggregated			Progressive		POTUS Vote		Education			Income			Home		Urbanicity			US Census Region
Credibility Interval: ± 2.4 pct points		Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian /	Yes	No	Very Con	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Very Lib	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Yes	No	Trump	Harris	High Sch	Some Col	4-Year C	< $40K	$40K - $	> $80K	Own	Rent	Urban	Suburban	Rural	Northeas	Midwest	South	West
Republican	34%	37%	32%	30%	34%	34%	40%	32%	37%	41%	12%	35%	17%	39%	33%	78%	66%	20%	4%	6%	72%	20%	5%	-	-	72%	3%	38%	34%	32%	30%	37%	37%	40%	23%	29%	33%	46%	32%	35%	39%	28%
Democrat	36%	30%	41%	35%	37%	35%	36%	36%	35%	28%	63%	40%	41%	33%	37%	9%	13%	34%	73%	75%	12%	34%	74%	100%	100%	5%	71%	33%	35%	39%	36%	35%	35%	34%	39%	42%	36%	26%	39%	34%	31%	42%
Independent	26%	28%	23%	29%	24%	27%	22%	27%	24%	26%	21%	20%	36%	23%	27%	9%	17%	42%	20%	15%	14%	42%	17%	-	-	20%	23%	24%	26%	26%	29%	23%	25%	23%	30%	25%	27%	22%	26%	27%	26%	24%
Other	3%	3%	3%	3%	4%	4%	1%	3%	3%	3%	2%	3%	5%	2%	3%	2%	3%	3%	1%	3%	2%	3%	2%	-	-	2%	2%	3%	2%	3%	3%	4%	2%	2%	5%	2%	3%	4%	3%	3%	2%	4%
Not Sure	2%	2%	1%	3%	2%	1%	0%	3%	0%	1%	2%	2%	2%	2%	1%	1%	0%	1%	2%	0%	1%	1%	1%	-	-	1%	1%	2%	3%	0%	2%	2%	1%	1%	3%	2%	1%	2%	1%	2%	2%	2%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	50%	50%	27%	24%	25%	24%	51%	49%	63%	11%	16%	10%	28%	71%	16%	18%	38%	11%	13%	35%	38%	24%	60%	25%	44%	43%	34%	29%	37%	35%	38%	26%	69%	31%	30%	48%	22%	19%	22%	37%	23%

3	Right now, is there a Democrat who you view as the leader of the party?

885 Democrats	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Parent		Ideology					Ideology Aggregated			Progressive		POTUS Vote		Education			Income			Home		Urbanicity			US Census Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points		Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian /	Yes	No	Very Con	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Very Lib	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Yes	No	Trump	Harris	High Sch	Some Col	4-Year C	< $40K	$40K - $	> $80K	Own	Rent	Urban	Suburban	Rural	Northeas	Midwest	South	West
Yes	39%	39%	39%	48%	39%	34%	34%	43%	34%	35%	45%	45%	34%	45%	37%	**	27%	31%	39%	49%	39%	31%	44%	49%	21%	21%	41%	42%	34%	40%	38%	38%	41%	39%	39%	40%	42%	28%	40%	37%	37%	42%
No	42%	43%	42%	37%	43%	44%	45%	40%	44%	47%	31%	37%	48%	38%	43%	**	57%	44%	44%	37%	43%	44%	40%	34%	63%	64%	39%	37%	46%	43%	40%	46%	39%	43%	40%	42%	39%	52%	40%	44%	43%	41%
Not Sure	19%	18%	20%	16%	18%	22%	20%	17%	21%	18%	25%	18%	18%	16%	20%	**	16%	24%	16%	15%	19%	24%	15%	17%	16%	14%	20%	21%	19%	17%	21%	17%	20%	18%	22%	18%	19%	20%	19%	19%	20%	17%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Democrats	100%	42%	58%	26%	25%	25%	24%	51%	49%	50%	20%	18%	11%	27%	73%	4%	7%	37%	24%	27%	11%	37%	51%	60%	25%	6%	85%	32%	29%	40%	36%	38%	26%	66%	34%	35%	49%	16%	21%	21%	32%	27%

4	If you had to choose one person, who would you say you most view as the leader of the Democratic party right now? (names shown to respondents in random order; ranked here from most-selected to least-selected)

885 Democrats	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Parent		Ideology					Ideology Aggregated			Progressive		POTUS Vote		Education			Income			Home		Urbanicity			US Census Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points		Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian /	Yes	No	Very Con	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Very Lib	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Yes	No	Trump	Harris	High Sch	Some Col	4-Year C	< $40K	$40K - $	> $80K	Own	Rent	Urban	Suburban	Rural	Northeas	Midwest	South	West
Kamala Harris	19%	15%	22%	27%	19%	18%	11%	23%	14%	14%	25%	20%	27%	25%	17%	**	35%	21%	15%	16%	30%	21%	15%	19%	17%	18%	18%	27%	15%	16%	22%	20%	13%	17%	24%	19%	20%	16%	18%	16%	24%	16%
Barack Obama	17%	17%	16%	19%	15%	20%	13%	17%	16%	14%	25%	20%	10%	21%	15%	**	15%	21%	15%	11%	15%	21%	13%	16%	16%	20%	17%	17%	20%	14%	19%	15%	16%	15%	20%	21%	13%	20%	19%	19%	17%	13%
Cory Booker	14%	12%	15%	4%	16%	16%	20%	10%	18%	16%	7%	13%	18%	8%	16%	**	7%	9%	20%	20%	5%	9%	20%	15%	12%	5%	16%	9%	14%	18%	10%	15%	16%	17%	9%	11%	16%	15%	14%	14%	13%	15%
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez	8%	11%	7%	12%	7%	6%	9%	9%	7%	10%	2%	10%	9%	6%	9%	**	4%	3%	14%	12%	4%	3%	13%	9%	10%	0%	9%	8%	7%	9%	8%	9%	8%	9%	7%	4%	10%	12%	6%	9%	8%	10%
Bernie Sanders	8%	8%	8%	8%	10%	6%	7%	9%	6%	10%	5%	6%	9%	7%	8%	**	5%	7%	10%	8%	5%	7%	9%	7%	6%	9%	8%	6%	8%	9%	9%	9%	5%	8%	9%	6%	8%	11%	10%	8%	8%	7%
Hakeem Jeffries	8%	7%	8%	2%	3%	10%	16%	3%	13%	7%	11%	8%	3%	6%	8%	**	8%	8%	7%	8%	8%	8%	8%	9%	7%	9%	8%	10%	8%	6%	7%	6%	11%	7%	8%	8%	9%	3%	7%	8%	8%	7%
Chuck Schumer	6%	6%	5%	6%	5%	6%	5%	6%	5%	7%	5%	2%	5%	4%	6%	**	7%	5%	5%	6%	8%	5%	5%	6%	6%	8%	5%	5%	7%	6%	7%	5%	5%	5%	7%	6%	5%	6%	8%	6%	5%	5%
Gavin Newsom	4%	8%	1%	4%	6%	3%	4%	5%	3%	4%	1%	9%	5%	6%	3%	**	2%	6%	4%	3%	1%	6%	4%	3%	5%	6%	4%	4%	3%	5%	2%	4%	6%	4%	3%	6%	4%	1%	1%	1%	2%	11%
Joe Biden	4%	5%	3%	5%	7%	2%	1%	6%	2%	3%	5%	5%	3%	7%	3%	**	0%	5%	2%	4%	6%	5%	3%	5%	2%	10%	3%	3%	5%	4%	3%	3%	6%	5%	2%	8%	2%	2%	1%	3%	5%	5%
Hillary Clinton	3%	2%	3%	4%	5%	2%	0%	4%	1%	4%	3%	2%	0%	4%	3%	**	7%	2%	1%	2%	8%	2%	2%	3%	3%	2%	3%	2%	3%	3%	3%	2%	4%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	4%	4%	2%	2%
Tim Walz	3%	3%	3%	5%	1%	3%	2%	3%	2%	3%	3%	3%	4%	1%	3%	**	0%	4%	1%	4%	0%	4%	3%	2%	3%	1%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	2%	4%	4%	6%	1%	2%
Pete Buttigieg	3%	2%	4%	2%	2%	2%	5%	2%	4%	4%	1%	1%	5%	3%	3%	**	1%	3%	3%	3%	1%	3%	3%	2%	4%	1%	3%	2%	3%	4%	1%	4%	3%	3%	2%	1%	4%	3%	3%	4%	1%	4%
Jasmine Crockett	3%	2%	3%	2%	3%	2%	4%	2%	3%	2%	7%	0%	2%	1%	3%	**	5%	3%	2%	2%	5%	3%	2%	2%	4%	3%	3%	3%	3%	2%	4%	2%	1%	2%	3%	4%	2%	3%	3%	3%	4%	0%
Someone Else	2%	2%	2%	0%	0%	4%	3%	0%	4%	3%	2%	0%	0%	0%	2%	**	5%	3%	1%	1%	3%	3%	1%	1%	4%	8%	1%	2%	2%	2%	1%	2%	2%	2%	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	1%	2%	3%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Democrats	100%	42%	58%	26%	25%	25%	24%	51%	49%	50%	20%	18%	11%	27%	73%	4%	7%	37%	24%	27%	11%	37%	51%	60%	25%	6%	85%	32%	29%	40%	36%	38%	26%	66%	34%	35%	49%	16%	21%	21%	32%	27%

** Too few respondents of this type were interviewed for this data to be meaningful.