US Vice President JD Vance has emerged as the top choice in CPAC’s 2026 straw poll for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, reinforcing his position as an early favorite among conservative activists aligned with President Donald Trump. At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, Vance won 53% of the vote from more than 1,600 attendees.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished second with 35%, a major jump from last year’s CPAC straw poll, when Reuters reported he received just 3%. No other potential contender reached more than 2%, highlighting how strongly the informal survey centered on Vance and Rubio.
The result does not decide the 2028 race, but it offers an early snapshot of sentiment within one of the Republican Party’s most influential conservative gatherings. Reuters noted that CPAC remains a key annual meeting for Republican activists, lawmakers, and presidential hopefuls, even if its straw poll reflects a particularly right leaning slice of the party rather than the broader electorate.
Vance’s strong showing comes as he continues to benefit from his close alignment with Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party. Reuters reported that some attendees pointed to Vance’s public expressions of faith and his perceived authenticity as reasons for their support, while Rubio’s rise was linked in part to his expanding foreign policy profile.
The straw poll also lands at a time when Republicans are trying to manage internal tensions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. CPAC this year focused heavily on party unity, with divisions over the Iran war and the Epstein files creating pressure inside the wider conservative movement.
Overall, the CPAC result strengthens Vance’s standing in the early conversation about 2028, while also showing that Rubio is gaining ground as another serious name to watch in the post Trump Republican field.
