Independent Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump Jr. are leading their respective parties in a new early look at the 2028 presidential field, according to exclusive polling data released by John Zogby Strategies.
John Zogby, founder and senior partner, shared new polling insights Wednesday on Newsmax's "Greg Kelly Reports," offering an early glimpse into the potential 2028 presidential race.
"Well, I did it, I guess, to quote a former president because I could," Zogby said when asked why he conducted the poll. "But I did it because we have done that early on in non-presidential years, looking ahead to the future. Usually, these are based on name recognition, you know, obviously, but in this instance, I think it told a story."
Among Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders [I-Vt.], who will be 86 in 2028, tops the field. Zogby noted that while Sanders is unlikely to run again, his placement serves as a "placeholder" for the party's progressive wing alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
"There is the — that's the left wing of the party. And the left wing of the party is in the ascendancy right now," Zogby said. "Who holds up the more establishment side of the party? That's [former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg together with [Sen.] Cory Booker [D-N.J.] and [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom. What I'm impressed about is that there's five people there in double digits, meaning this is wide open."
On the Republican side, Donald Trump Jr. leads, drawing comparisons to a historical precedent.
"What's really interesting is that Donald Trump Jr. is parallel to what we saw at this point in time in 1997," Zogby said. "George W. Bush, who was still relatively new governor of Texas, came in first in a field of Republicans that included, you know, some heavyweights."
Zogby recalled that in 1997, 13% of respondents believed George W. Bush was his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Some voters even expressed support for the younger Bush because they thought his father had been wronged in the 1992 election. Zogby said similar dynamics may be at play with Trump Jr.
When asked if Trump Jr.'s strong showing was just "name recognition trickery," Zogby agreed in part but pointed to deeper support in the numbers.
"Oh, of course. Yeah. Of course," he said. "But behind the numbers, he does better than [Vice President J.D.] Vance. He gets 35% support among self-identified Republicans. Whereas those independents who said that they would vote in the Republican primary in their state favor Vance 2 to 1."
Zogby emphasized that while much can change before 2028, the data shows both parties face wide-open fields with emerging divides between establishment figures and ideological wings.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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