Vice President JD Vance is the favorite to earn the Republican nomination for president in 2028, according to a new straw poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday.

Vance earned support from about 53 percent of attendees who participated in the presidential preference poll at the annual gathering in Grapevine, Texas, according to New York Times reporter Kellen Browning.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio came in second with 35 percent, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, tied at 2 percent for a distant third place.

Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott each got 1 percent. The other two contenders on the list got no support.

The closely watched straw poll often serves as an early barometer for how GOP voters are leaning, and Vance’s name at the top indicates that conservative Republicans view him as best suited to succeed President Trump and advance the MAGA agenda.

Last year, Vance led with 61 percent support among 1,022 CPAC attendees, followed by former Trump advisor and right-wing media personality Steve Bannon with 12 percent. Rubio received only 3 percent support in 2025, a sign his stock is now rising among Trump’s core base.

Trump is reportedly skipping CPAC this year — the first time in a decade — as the war with Iran rages on and he faces pressure to tamp down surging oil and gas prices ahead of the midterms.

The outcome of Saturday’s straw poll was not unexpected, as Vance and Rubio have widely emerged as the expected GOP frontrunners heading into 2028. Trump is not eligible to run again.

Vance has been seen as the heir apparent to Trump since becoming his running mate in 2024, but the president’s recent praise of Rubio’s diplomatic work has introduced fresh speculation over who may carry the party torch once Trump leaves office.