CNN Data Guru Says ‘Democratic Field’ Is ‘Messiest’ in Decades: ‘There Is No Clear Leader!’

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten declared the emerging 2028 Democratic presidential field the party’s “messiest” in decades on Tuesday, as new polling showed former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leading a crowded pack, with just 17% support.

The breakdown aired hours before Harris was due to appear alongside Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, a return to a crucial battleground that tipped speculation over whether Harris is planning to mount another White House campaign.

Reviewing a new Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll on CNN News Central, Enten said Democratic voters appear nowhere close to settling on a standard-bearer.

“[The Democratic base] don’t know what the heck they want. This field is historically messy. It’s messier than an airport the Sunday after Thanksgiving,” Enten said.

The survey found Harris at 17%, barely ahead of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 16%. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and California Governor Gavin Newsom were tied at 14%.

“There are four folks within 17%, I mean, it’s just completely messy,” Enten said. “The clear thing to take away here is there is no clear leader in this group. This is a field that is messier than any Democratic field in at least 20 years. I would argue, the messiest, least clear democratic field since 1992.”

When asked by CNN host Kate Bolduan how Harris’s position compared with her previous standing in the party, Enten pointed to the scale of her decline from the tumultuous summer of 2024.

“You see the 17% now, back in July of 2024, just as Joe Biden was getting out of the race, Kamala Harris was polling at 45%,” he said. “You know, that’s more than twice as much as the support that she has right now.”

Enten contrasted Harris’s position with President Donald Trump’s dominance at a comparable stage ahead of the 2024 Republican race, when Trump was polling at 49%.

“This is a weak place for a frontrunner,” Enten said. “These are the types of numbers that would really make me think twice about running if I was Kamala Harris, given her universal name recognition.”

Harris has not announced a 2028 campaign and has yet to publicly commit to another run.

Watch above via CNN.

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