Vice President JD Vance has emerged as the clear favorite to lead the Republican ticket in 2028, securing a dominant win in the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll on Saturday.
The results, announced at the gathering in Grapevine, Texas, showed Vance earning support from 53% of participating attendees. While still a majority, the figure marks a slight dip from the 61% support he received in last year’s poll.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the second-place spot with 35%, a significant jump from his 3% showing in 2025.
This surge suggests Rubio is gaining substantial ground among the party’s core base as he maintains a high-profile role in the administration’s foreign policy.
The rest of the field trailed far behind the two frontrunners:
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: 2%
- Donald Trump Jr.: 2%
- Sen. Ted Cruz: 1%
- Sen. Rand Paul: 1%
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: 1%
- DNI Tulsi Gabbard: 1%
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 1%
READ: Florida Gov. DeSantis Opens Up On Future Ambitions, Wife’s Cancer Battle In Raw Interview
The straw poll is widely viewed as a bellwether for the “Make America Great Again” movement.
With President Trump ineligible for a third term, the results indicate that activists see Vance as the most natural successor to carry the administration’s platform forward.
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