Vice President JD Vance is the clear presidential front-runner among Republican voters, new polling shows, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Some 63% of the 2,189 Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents questioned said they would consider voting for Vance in the Republican presidential primary or caucus in their state in 2028.
Some 42 percent said the same for Rubio, 35 percent for DeSantis, 31 percent for Donald Trump Jr. and 26 percent for Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
The YouGov survey on presidential preferences, carried out between April 8 and April 13, disclaims a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points, adjusted for weighting.
How The Top Republican Presidential Candidates Compare
Vance performed particularly strongly among older voters, drawing support from 76 percent of those aged 65 and over, and 67 percent of voters aged 45 to 64.
The Ohio Republican, who rose to national prominence after his 2022 Senate win and subsequent elevation to the vice presidency, also saw solid numbers across gender lines (62 percent male, 63 percent female) and among white voters (67 percent).
He had a comparatively lower standing among younger voters — at 44 percent among those aged 18 to 29 — but this was still on the higher side among all candidates.
The only candidate who saw more support from that age group was Donald Trump Jr., with 49 percent.
Sen. Marco Rubio ranked second overall, strong backing from older and college-educated voters — 58 percent of those aged 65 and over and 51 percent among degree holders.
DeSantis, who ranked third, performed best among voters aged 45 to 64 (48 percent) an particularly low among 18-29s (8 percent).
Donald Trump Jr. ranked fourth at 31 percent overall, driven largely by his strength with younger voters, where his 49 percent among those aged 18 to 29 far outpaces rivals in that cohort.
But his support declined sharply with age, falling to 23 percent among voters 65 and older.
Other Candidates
Further down the list, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. draws 15 percent consideration, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence at 14 percent and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 13 percent. Sen. Tim Scott receives 10 percent, while former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard stands at 8 percent.
A group of potential candidates — including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley — register 7 percent each, with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp at 4 percent.
As the GOP looks ahead to 2028, the poll suggests a field led by familiar political figures but still open to shifts as candidates’ profiles evolve and new contenders potentially enter the race.
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