An Emerson College Polling survey shows Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio nearly tied among Republican primary voters in an early test of the 2028 GOP field.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are nearly tied among Republican primary voters in an early look at the party’s possible 2028 presidential field, according to a new Emerson College Polling survey.
The poll found Vance with 36% support among Republican primary voters, narrowly ahead of Rubio at 35%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley each received 5%, while 15% of respondents said they were undecided.
The results show a major shift from Emerson’s February survey, when Vance led Rubio by a wide margin. At that time, 52% of Republican primary voters supported Vance, compared with 20% for Rubio.
“The Republican primary has shifted significantly since February, when 52% supported Vance and 20% Rubio; the potential 2028 contenders now compete evenly,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement accompanying the survey.
The latest numbers suggest Rubio has gained ground with older Republicans, while Vance continues to lead among younger voters.
Among Republican primary voters 50 and older, Rubio received 41% support compared with 35% for Vance. Among Republicans under 50, Vance led Rubio by 11 points, 37% to 26%.
The survey offers an early snapshot of potential Republican leadership after President Donald Trump’s second term. Neither Vance nor Rubio has announced plans to run for president in 2028.
Vance, a former U.S. senator from Ohio, became vice president after joining Trump’s ticket in the 2024 election. Rubio, a former Florida senator, competed against Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary before later becoming one of his prominent allies and serving as secretary of state.
DeSantis and Haley, who both challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, remain well behind the two leading figures in the Emerson survey. Combined, they drew 10% support among Republican primary voters.
The poll indicates that the early 2028 Republican race, if it includes Vance and Rubio, could begin as a competitive contest between two senior figures in the Trump administration.