JD Vance favored to win 2028 GOP presidential primary: JL Partners poll

According to the May survey, 8 percent of respondents said they would support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Texas Senator Ted Cruz received 6 percent support. 7 percent of respondents threw their support behind Ohio Gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and 5 percent said they would back former UN ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Vance, 40, has been a key player in the Trump administration, establishing himself as an effective communicator on priorities such as immigration enforcement, trade, and social issues, the New York Post reported. His young age also helps him appeal to the younger generation of voters.

Caroline Mulvaney, JL Partners research manager, predicted Vance could "expect to gain further support from voters who are currently supporting individuals unlikely to end up on the 2028 ticket, as well as at least some support from voters who are currently undecided."

The vice president's most prominent competitor could likely be Marco Rubio. President Trump has praised them both since returning to the White House in January. If Rubio secured the 2028 nomination, 57 percent of Republican voters said they would support him, according to the poll.

When it comes to Democrats, failed 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, the former vice president, received 30 percent of support among Democrat voters, while former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came in second with 8 percent of support. This was followed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both garnering 7 percent support, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), who got 6 percent support.

The JL Partners poll was conducted between May 13 and May 14. It surveyed 975 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.