At a progressive convention straw poll, Kamala Harris drew only six votes out of 990, finishing near the bottom while Sen. Jon Ossoff dominated the field.
Story Snapshot
- Jon Ossoff won 38.4% in the Crooked Con straw poll out of 990 ballots.
- Kamala Harris received 0.6% and tied for 16th place in the event tally.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pete Buttigieg trailed far behind Ossoff in first-choice votes.
- National polling still shows Harris leading Democrats overall, highlighting a split between activists and broader voters.
Ossoff Tops Progressive Straw Poll With Wide Margin
Reports from Washington state that Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff led the Crooked Con 2028 Democratic straw poll with 38.4% of first-choice votes. Coverage says attendees cast 990 ballots at the progressive gathering, giving Ossoff 380 votes and a clear edge over rivals. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez placed second at about 16.6%, with Pete Buttigieg in third near 13.9%. The event-level result shows strong activist energy for Ossoff inside this progressive crowd, at least for now.
Additional reporting says Ossoff also led second-choice preferences among participants. That measure can hint at deeper support when the field shifts, though it remains only an event snapshot. While the straw poll is not a national survey, the size of the on-site response gives a rare look at what a highly engaged progressive audience favors at this moment. The data reflect who showed up and voted at the convention, not a weighted sample of Democrats nationwide.
Harris Sinks to 0.6% Among Activists at Crooked Con
Former Vice President Kamala Harris received only six votes, or 0.6%, tying for 16th place with Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the same straw poll. That result marks a sharp contrast with her status inside the party establishment and past media coverage. The figure also sits well below better-known progressives at the event. Because her tally is so small, even a few additional votes would have shifted her rank. Still, the outcome underscores activist discontent in this room.
Conservative readers will see a familiar pattern here. Progressive activists rewarded a fresh face with sharp messaging, while a national figure with a long record struggled to connect. The same energy once cheered policies that drove high spending and weak borders. Those choices fueled higher prices and public frustration. This straw poll shows the activist lane still pulling Democrats left, even as many Americans want secure borders, cheaper energy, and limited government that respects the Constitution.
Event Straw Polls Are Signals, Not National Mandates
Outlets covering the convention stressed limits on what this poll can tell us. A straw poll measures a self-selected group, not the country. It does not document the full ballot methods or controls for duplicate voting in public reports. The sample reflects attendees at a progressive media event, not everyday Democratic voters across regions and ages. This is a useful signal about activist taste, but not a forecast of the 2028 Democratic nominee on its own.
New – Crooked Con 2028 straw poll
🔵 Ossoff 38%
🔵 AOC 17%
🔵 Buttigieg 14%Kamala Harris finished 16th with 6 votes
— cherlynn (@cheryl_mathisen) November 9, 2026
National polling paints a different picture. A compilation of national Democratic primary surveys shows Kamala Harris leading the field in broader samples, with Jon Ossoff well behind her in those averages. That split matters. Activists at conventions often favor more ideological choices. Primary voters and general-election voters often judge on competence, cost of living, and safety. The gap between the Crooked Con result and national polling shows the party’s tension between message purity and broad appeal.
What This Means for 2028 — And For Policy Fights Now
Ossoff’s activist win signals where progressive energy may flow in early positioning. If that current shapes the party’s agenda, expect louder pushes for spending, regulation, and social battles that sideline border security and energy development. Voters living with higher prices and insecure communities will notice. President Trump’s administration is pressing for secure borders, lower energy costs, and a government that stays in its lane. The Democratic activist lane points the other way, as this straw poll suggests.
Sources:
pennlive.com, ktsa.com, ibtimes.co.uk, eurweb.com, nypost.com
