Pete Buttigieg ranked second in a new Michigan Democratic primary poll, drawing 19.4% support from likely voters in the battleground state as former Vice President Kamala Harris leads the 2028 field.
The survey of 500 likely Democratic primary voters, conducted July 8-11 by Glengariff Group for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV, showed Harris at approximately 25%, with New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in third place at 11.5%. The poll carries a margin of error of plus-minus 4.4 percentage points.
Buttigieg, the former Transportation Secretary now living in Traverse City, Michigan, performed strongest among college-educated voters in the survey. Pollster Richard Czuba noted that the results reveal emerging fault lines in the Democratic Party, with different candidates appealing to distinct voter blocs. “We’re starting to see some formations of fault lines in this race with Black voters, college-educated voters and far-left voters,” Czuba said. “We see these lanes developing, and that’s where this race is going to get fought over.”
Harris drew her strongest support from Metro Detroit and Black voters, while Ocasio-Cortez performed best among self-identified Democratic Socialists. Other candidates tested in the poll included California Governor Gavin Newsom at 10.1%, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker at 8.3%, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly at 8.3%, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro at 4.4%, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker at 2.2%, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore at 1.6%.
Czuba cautioned against reading too much into the early numbers but called them a useful guide for how the Democratic primary could unfold. “I wouldn’t hang too much on these numbers, other than an early test of some name ID and how do these lanes start to look and develop,” he said, noting that more candidates are expected to enter the race. He added that Democrats broadly signal a desire for change, which could benefit candidates who present themselves as fresh voices.
Buttigieg has remained politically active in Michigan since declining to run for governor or the U.S. Senate this year. He recently spoke at the Mackinac Policy Conference and campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson in Traverse City. Harris visited Michigan in mid-April for a Democratic Party women’s luncheon in Detroit.
Sources
- The Detroit News — July 2026 Glengariff Group poll of 500 Michigan likely Democratic primary voters, showing Buttigieg at 19.4%, Harris at 25%, and poll methodology and analyst commentary from Richard Czuba
- ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4 — Coverage of the same Michigan Democratic primary poll and candidate preferences
