Listen To Story Above
Democratic Party has a clear leader, while a staggering 66% claim the party lacks definitive leadership, and 27% remain uncertain.
Although former President Donald Trump has been the undisputed face of the Republican Party for nearly a decade, the survey results paint a stark contrast when it comes to the perception of leadership within the Democratic ranks.
Delving deeper into the party divide, the poll found that only 16% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents acknowledged the existence of a clear leader within their party. Of those who did, 90 respondents provided specific names.
Poll: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seen as leader of Democratic Party, with Kamala Harris close behind — CNN pic.twitter.com/k1AER7f7Kw
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) March 16, 2025
Among the named individuals, former Vice President Kamala Harris garnered the most mentions with 25 respondents, followed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York with 16 mentions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both from New York, tied for third place with 14 mentions each.
These findings come at a time when the Democratic Party’s public approval ratings have hit a new low, and the party has struggled to present a coherent message amid Trump’s second term. Many party loyalists advocate for an unwavering stance on liberal positions, eschewing compromise.
The Economist/YouGov survey was conducted between March 22-25, with a sample size of 1,600 respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
.@CNN: "The reality is that there is no leader right now. Hakeem Jeffries is not seen as necessarily the leader of the party… Chuck Schumer has been the Democratic Leader for 9 yrs in the U.S. Senate, lot of pressure on him to step aside." pic.twitter.com/bKvKr6iT96
— Raj Aryal (@rajaryal07) March 24, 2025
