Vice President Vance appears to be leading the race for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, significantly outpacing other potential candidates according to a recent poll.
An Emerson College Voting Survey released on Friday indicated that Vance garnered 46% support, leaving Secretary Marco Rubio in second place with 12% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 9%. Independent Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received 5%, while Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley each claimed 2%.
The other six candidates listed in the survey received less than 1% of the vote. Additionally, 17% of respondents were undecided, and 4% preferred someone not listed.
This represents an improvement for Vance, as he previously led in a November Emerson poll with a smaller margin, obtaining 30% compared to 3% for 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Notably, half of respondents at that time indicated they were undecided.
Vance has reportedly gained traction, particularly among 52% of male Republican voters and those over 60, establishing himself as a frontrunner.
Former President Trump has acknowledged the impact of potential successors for the Republican nomination in 2028 but has refrained from backing any specific candidate. He mentioned in a February interview with Fox News that it was “too early” to endorse Vance, though he did describe him as “very capable.” Trump also highlighted both Vance and Rubio in a recent NBC interview as promising figures within his “Make America Great Again” movement.
“I think [Vance is] great,” he stated. “Marco is too. A lot of them are amazing.”
The poll was conducted from June 24 to 25, involving 1,000 registered voters, including 416 major Republican voters, with a margin of error of 4.8 points among the Republican participants.
