JD Vance wins CPAC straw poll for GOP 2028 presidential nominee

“You guys are the conservative movement, you guys are the thought leaders, the opinion leaders. We asked folks who they thought would be the Republican nominee, who they preferred for the Republican for president in 2028. And who is it?" asked Jim McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin & Associates Poll at CPAC. "JD Vance. And why? Because he's viewed as the closest thing to Donald Trump.”

CPAC posted the results of the straw poll, showing Vance as the top choice with 61 percent support. The next highest was Steve Bannon at 12 percent, though there is no indication that Bannon intends to run for office. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed with 7 percent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio received 3 percent.

The conference concluded Saturday following a speech from President Donald Trump. The straw poll was conducted among more than 1,000 CPAC attendees, and McLaughlin noted that the straw poll has accurately predicted conservative voting trends in previous years.

Despite Vance’s overwhelming support at CPAC, his nomination is far from guaranteed—even in Trump’s eyes. In a pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump was asked if he saw Vance as his successor for the 2028 Republican nomination.

“No,” Trump responded bluntly, before adding, “He’s very capable.”

“I think you have a lot of very capable people,” Trump continued. “So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.”