With the 2028 presidential primary season still two years away, Vice President JD Vance continues to dominate the early Republican field, according to the latest Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll.
Vance was the top choice of 36% of Republicans and right-leaning independents surveyed, maintaining a commanding lead over every other potential contender.
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The former Ohio senator has consistently held a significant advantage, drawing roughly twice the support of his nearest rival both in the latest survey and in The Center Square’s previous poll conducted in March.
Among the remaining candidates tested, Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed second with 17% support, while Ron DeSantis trailed in third place at 7%, according to the outlet’s results
The results suggest that Vance has emerged as the early favorite among Republican voters, benefiting from his close alignment with President Trump’s agenda and his high-profile role in the administration.
Another 17 percent said they weren’t sure yet who they would support in 2028.
Both Rubio and DeSantis posted gains in the latest survey, a development that may be partly explained by the absence of Donald Trump Jr. from the list of potential candidates.
In previous Center Square polls, the president’s eldest son consistently ranked as the clear runner-up to Vance and attracted a sizable share of support from Republican voters.
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In October, Trump Jr. received 25% support compared to Vance’s 38%, the closest any prospective candidate has come to narrowing the gap with the vice president.
By March, Trump Jr. drew 19% support while Vance remained steady at 36%.
Rubio appeared to benefit from some of that shifting support.
After polling at just 5% in October, the secretary of state climbed to 9% in March and has continued to gain traction among Republican voters.
The outlet noted it did not include Trump Jr. in this latest poll because he recently wrote on social media he has no interest in running in 2028 though he would not rule out a future bid.
“For this wave, we wanted the hypothetical Republican field to be more focused on candidates who seem more plausible as active contenders at this stage,” Noble Predictive Insights founder Mike Noble told the outlet.
Vance’s strongest support came from younger voters, with 43% of respondents ages 18 to 29 identifying him as their preferred candidate.
The vice president also broke the 40% threshold among voters who supported President Donald Trump in the last election and among respondents in the Northeast, two groups where his backing was particularly strong.
Across the board, Vance outperformed every other potential candidate among both Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
He also posted solid numbers among voters of varying income levels and educational backgrounds, underscoring the breadth of his support within the GOP coalition.
The survey found that Vance was the leading choice among every racial demographic tested, although his support was lowest among black respondents, where he received 21%.
Among that group, Rubio garnered 14% support and DeSantis received 10%, making them the next most popular options behind the vice president, The Center Square reported.
Rubio’s support was noticeably stronger among male voters than female voters. The survey found that 21% of men backed the secretary of state, compared to 14% of women.
His strongest age demographic was voters 65 and older, where he earned 26% support.
By contrast, Rubio struggled to gain traction with younger Republicans, receiving just 3% support among voters ages 18 to 29.
Rubio also performed slightly better among Republican-leaning independents than among self-identified Republicans.
He captured 20% support from right-leaning independents, compared to 17% among Republicans. Even so, Vance remained the dominant choice in both groups.
Education levels also revealed areas of strength for Rubio. He performed best among voters with at least some college education, particularly those with postgraduate experience, where he drew 22% support.
Among racial demographics, Rubio’s strongest showing came with Hispanic and Latino voters.
He received 24% support from that group, though Vance remained well ahead at 37%.
Regionally, Rubio performed best in the Northeast, where he earned 20% support. His backing was somewhat lower in the South and West, at 18% and 16%, respectively.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
