An exclusive new poll of more than 2,400 loyal Democratic voters, commissioned by The New Republic, makes clear that they want their party to go after the people who are making their lives harder. Roughly four out of five respondents feel that Democrats are too timid about taxing the rich, making corporations pay their fair share, cracking down on corporations that break the law, and regulating big tech. And they’re big fans of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—above all other Democrats named in the poll.
But we wanted hear what our readers thought, too—and the results are actually quite different from the aforementioned poll.
Over 3,300 readers took our poll. Here are the results.
What is your view of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
Favorable - 92%
Unfavorable - 8%
What is your view of Kamala Harris?
Favorable - 54%
Unfavorable - 46%
What is your view of Gavin Newsom?
Favorable - 63%
Unfavorable - 37%
What is your view of Pete Buttigieg?
Favorable - 79%
Unfavorable - 21%
What is your view of Joe Biden?
Favorable - 49%
Unfavorable - 51%
What is your view of Gretchen Whitmer?
Favorable - 72%
Unfavorable - 28%
What is your view of Hakeem Jeffries?
Favorable - 37%
Unfavorable - 63%
What is your view of JB Pritzker?
Favorable - 87%
Unfavorable - 13%
What is your view of Josh Shapiro?
Favorable - 67%
Unfavorable - 33%
What is your view of Andy Beshear?
Favorable - 82%
Unfavorable - 18%
What is your view of Chuck Schumer?
Favorable - 13%
Unfavorable - 87%
What is your view of Wes Moore?
Favorable - 74%
Unfavorable - 26%
Below are some words that might describe the Democratic Party. Which one best describes the party?
Afraid - 64%
Principled - 23%
Boring - 12%
Strong - 1%
Who deserves the most blame for Democrats losing the 2024 presidential election?
Democratic insiders for not forcing Biden out sooner - 47%
Biden for not announcing earlier that he wouldn’t run - 43%
Harris for not running a more effective campaign - 10%
Do you think Kamala Harris should run for president again in 2028, or do you think she had her shot?
Had her shot - 89%
Should run - 11%
Do you think the Democratic nominee in 2028 should be a moderate, a liberal, or a progressive?
Progressive - 60%
Moderate - 22%
Liberal - 18%
The Democrats have nominated two women for president. Both lost by small margins. Do you think the Democrats should nominate a man in 2028, or do you think the right woman candidate can still win?
The right woman can win - 61%
Nominate a man - 39%
Zohran Mamdani recently won New York City’s mayoral race as a democratic socialist. For Democratic candidates around the country, do you think the label “socialist” is:
Doesn’t matter - 45%
A minus - 34%
A plus - 21%
Now, a few questions about how the party approaches elections. Some people say that groups focused on single issues have too much power over candidates. These groups force candidates to take unpopular positions that hurt them in the general election. Other people say these groups do important work protecting vulnerable people and make sure candidates keep their promises. Which opinion is closer to your view?
Have too much power - 61%
Do important work - 39%
Sometimes politicians have to compromise to win over voters who haven’t decided yet. Would you rather see Democratic candidates stick to their beliefs even if they might lose, or make compromises to help them win?
Stick to their beliefs - 58%
Make compromises to win - 42%
Every election, there’s a debate about how Democrats can best win. Should they focus on energizing voters who already support them, or on winning over voters who haven’t decided? Both matter, but which do you think is more important?
Win over undecided voters - 55%
Energize supporters - 45%
In general, when Democrats talk about Republicans, which approach do you think is better?
Be more aggressive in calling out Republicans - 91%
Focus more on working with Republicans - 9%
In general, when Democrats talk about corporations and big business, which approach do you think is better?
Focus more on calling out corporate wrongdoing - 79%
Focus more on supporting businesses and economic growth - 21%
When it comes to Israel and Palestine, which of these best describes your view?
The U.S. should support Israel’s right to exist but should be more balanced between supporting Israel and supporting Palestinian rights - 57%
The U.S. should prioritize Palestinian rights and limit support for Israel - 38%
The U.S. should strongly support Israel, including military aid when Israel is attacked - 4%
If China invades Taiwan, what should the Democratic Party support?
Send military aid to Taiwan - 41%
Impose strict sanctions on China - 31%
Stay out of it but criticize China - 14%
Send U.S. troops to defend Taiwan - 14%
If Russia attacks a NATO country in Eastern Europe, what should the Democratic Party support?
Send U.S. troops to defend the country - 56%
Send military aid to the country - 34%
Impose strict sanctions on Russia - 7%
Stay out of it but criticize Russia - 3%
Which position should the Democratic Party take on Iran?
Engage with Iran diplomatically, including making a deal so Iran can have peaceful nuclear energy - 74%
Maintain maximum pressure and threat of military force to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons - 26%
When thinking about the economy, which of the following comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right?
The system is rigged against people like me - 77%
People like me can get ahead if they work hard and make good choices - 23%