JD Vance leads CPACs straw poll for 2028 presidential election

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The results of this year’s informal poll at the 2026 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) have been announced. United States Vice President JD Vance topped the straw poll with 53% of the votes cast by nearly 1,600 attendees. Secretary of State Marco Rubio secured 35% of the vote, a significant improvement from last year’s poll.

The poll was held during the four-day conference, which featured speakers such as Senator Ted Cruz and Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi. The results are seen as a bellwether for who may ultimately become the Republican nominee for the 2028 presidential election.

Vance had previously topped the straw poll at last year’s CPAC, with 61% of the vote. Other candidates included former Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who tied for fourth place with 3% each. Representative Elise Stefanik also received 3% of the vote.

The timing of this year’s straw poll is notable, as it comes less than eight months before the November midterm elections in the US. Republicans are hoping to defend their congressional majorities at the ballot box, and Trump’s approval numbers have been declining since his return to office in 2025.

A recent survey found that only 36% of US citizens approved of Trump’s job performance, a new low. The ongoing war in Iran and economic frustrations, including rising gas prices linked to the conflict, are among the factors contributing to the slump.

Trump has not yet indicated whether he will seek a third term as president, but his second presidency is set to expire in 2028. This leaves an open question about who may succeed him. Vance and Rubio have both been critical of Trump in the past, with Vance calling him “unfit” for office and Rubio deriding him as a “con artist” and an “embarrassment”.

Source: Al Jazeera