With 46% support, JD Vance dominates Republican polls for 2028

The vice president of the United States, JD Vance, is positioned as the front-runner to become the Republican Party presidential candidate in the 2028 election, according to a recent poll conducted by JL Partners.

The poll reveals that 46% of Republicans support Vance as their preferred candidate, far outpacing other potential contenders.

In contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the backing of only 6% of respondents behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with 8%, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, with 7%.

Despite low current support, Rubio has gained prominence in the Donald Trump Administration, taking on additional responsibilities as acting National Security Advisor and leading key diplomatic initiatives.

This has led President Trump to highlight his potential, stating in an interview with NBC News: “You look at Marco, you look at JD Vance, who’s fantastic. I could name 10, 15, 20 people right now just sitting here.”

The poll also indicates that, although 57% of Republicans would support Rubio as the nominee in 2028, 35% remain undecided or doubt his candidacy.

For her part, Caroline Mulvaney, research manager at JL Partners, noted that while Vance is the clear favorite, the high proportion of undecided voters and fragmentation of support among multiple names suggest the race is still wide open.

“Something really working against him is the portion of voters who simply have no opinion about his place on the ballot, or haven’t decided how they feel yet,” Mulvaney explained, adding that it's too early to define his strategy, but that his recent performance could strengthen his position over time.

Vance, meanwhile, benefits from his popularity among Trump's base, cemented by his Midwestern background and his acclaimed memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which resonated with blue-collar workers, a key sector in the 2024 Republican electoral victory.

He has also assumed a prominent role as a battle-hardened Trump supporter and international envoy, with a schedule that includes his attendance this weekend at Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass in Rome.

However, Trump has avoided explicitly endorsing Vance as his successor. In February, during an interview with Fox News, he stated, "No, but he's very capable," keeping the door open to other names.

For his part, Vance has denied rumors of rivalry with Rubio, telling Fox News: “He is probably my best friend in the administration. We hang out and talk all the time.”

Although the next presidential election is more than three years away, Vance appears to have a significant advantage.

With a field of contenders still fragmented and many undecided voters, the race for the 2028 Republican nomination promises to be competitive.