WASHINGTON —The vice president of the United States, J.D. Vanceis the favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination for 2028, according to a poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the largest right-wing forum in the country, although the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, closed distances.
Vance received the support of 53% of those attending CPAC, held last week on the outskirts of Dallas (Texas), to succeed the current president, Donald Trump.
Rubio came in second place with 35% of support, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, tied at a distant 2%.
The vice president had already led the internal CPAC poll last year, when he obtained 61%, but Rubio closed the gap significantly, since in 2025 he only had 3%.
The survey reflects the vice president’s growing influence in conservative circles and his consolidation as a prominent figure within the party. Known for bringing together the most prominent conservative leaders and activists, CPAC is often a significant indicator of political trends and preferences.
Rubio’s popularity
The head of American diplomacy gained popularity in the last year after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the operation that culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, which has earned him public praise from Trump.
The president, who cannot run again, has even raised the possibility of a joint Vance-Rubio ticket, although he has not clarified who he would prefer as a presidential candidate and who as a vice presidential candidate.
Large donors from Florida, a Republican stronghold, have expressed their support for a Rubio candidacy, but Vance remains the favorite of the Trumpist MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, key in the party’s primaries.
The vice president, considered more isolationist than Rubio, has until now maintained a discreet profile regarding the war in Iran, an unpopular conflict in some sectors of the country, mainly Democrats.
In public, both have tried to downplay the idea of a rivalry. Vance declared in an interview with Fox News that Rubio is not his “rival,” while the Secretary of State told Vanity Fair that if the vice president takes the step of seeking the presidential nomination, he will support him.
If the preference for Vance is maintained, it could influence strategic decisions and alliances within the party.
