Stephen A. Smith For President? ESPN Commentator’s Numbers for 2028 Don’t Look Bad

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith could potentially be a real contender as a presidential candidate for Democrats in 2028.

A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and Pablo Torre Finds Out finds that 33% of Likely U.S. Voters view Smith favorably, including 11% with a Very Favorable impression of the popular ESPN personality. Twenty-four percent (24%) view Smith unfavorably, including 10% with a Very Unfavorable opinion. Forty-four percent (44%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Smith has ridiculed speculation that he could make a 2028 presidential run by saying “it just shows how pathetic things are” for the Democratic Party now.

However, among voters who say they’re likely to vote in the 2028 Democratic primaries, Smith is nearly even with such potential candidates as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (known as “AOC”). In a hypothetical primary match-up, 31% would vote for Newsom and 28% for Smith, with almost identical results against AOC, who would get 32% to Smith’s 28%. However, Smith is clearly less popular among likely Democratic primary voters than former Vice President Kamala Harris, who would get 45% to Smith’s 24%.

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The survey of 1,021 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on March 26-27, 2025 by Rasmussen Reports and Pablo Torre Finds Out. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. For the subsample of 654 Likely Democratic Primary Voters, the margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

“My show often investigates absurd things seriously and serious things absurdly,” said host Pablo Torre, who discussed the poll findings on his popular podcast. “But the results of this poll startled even us: If more non-sports fans get to know him, it looks like Stephen A. could win in 2028. Or the Democrats are screwed. Probably both.”

The survey found that 48% of Likely Voters are familiar with Smith, including 21% who say they are Very Familiar with him. Thirty-three percent (43%) aren’t familiar with Smith, who is one of the hosts of the ESPN program First Take.

Among likely 2028 Democratic presidential primary voters who say they’re Very Familiar with Smith, he actually would beat either Newsom (42% to 34%) or AOC (44% to 27%) in a hypothetical match-up, while tying Harris (at 38% each) in such a match-up.

Among other findings of the Rasmussen Reports/Pablo Torre Finds Out survey of Likely Voters:

– Despite losing last year’s election against Donald Trump, Harris still has higher favorability than other Democrats mentioned as possible 2028 presidential contenders. Forty-nine percent (49%) of Likely Votersview Harris favorably, compared to 37% for Newsom and 40% for AOC.

– When thinking about the 2028 presidential election, 50% would prefer the Democratic nominee to be an experienced politician, while 25% prefer someone who has never been a politician before and 25% are not sure. Among Democratic voters, 71% would prefer an experienced politician as their party’s 2028 presidential nominee.

– Stephen A. Smith is viewed favorably by 28% of Democrats, 37% of Republicans and 32% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Smith’s total favorability is higher among black voters (53%) than whites (26%), Hispanics (45%) or other minorities (29%).

– Smith’s favorability is much higher among men (41%) than women voters (23%). Voters under 40 are more likely than their elders to have a Very Favorable impression of Smith.

– Twenty-five percent (25%) believe Smith would be more in touch with the needs of voters than other potential Democratic candidates for 2028, while 18% think he would be less in touch and 28% say Smith would be about the same as other Democratic candidates.

– Twenty-two percent (22%) say having Smith as the Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, would make them more likely to vote Democrat, but 24% saya they’d be less likely to vote Democrat with Smith as the 2028 candidate, and 39% say it would make no difference in their likelihood of voting Democrat in 2028. Similarly, having Smith as the VP candidate on the Democrats’ 2028 ticket would make no difference for 42% of voters.

Voters like Vance more than they liked his predecessor as Vice President of the United States. 

In the aftermath of the “Signal-gate” brouhaha, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remains a favorite of Republican voters.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.

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