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BREAKING: First 2028 GOP Presidential Primary Poll Shows Clear Leader

By Updated: ELECTIONS

A post-Trump Republican Party may not look so different after all, according to a new survey. Voters are signaling their preferences for the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee, the first cycle in 12 years without President-elect Donald Trump at the top of the ticket. According to a recent Echelon Insights poll, 37% of respondents favor Vice President-elect J.D. Vance as Trump’s successor.

Trailing far behind in second place with 9% is Vivek Ramaswamy, who remains an active figure in the MAGA movement and unlikely to fade quietly after a primary loss. Last week, Trump announced that Ramaswamy would join Elon Musk in co-managing a new federal agency tasked with combating waste, fraud, and abuse, giving him four years to expand his profile and influence.



The survey of 483 voters conducted between November 11 and 18 is relatively small and comes with a significant margin of error but still offers insight into how far Vance has pulled ahead of his competitors. At 40 years old, the first-term Ohio senator will rank among the youngest vice presidents in American history. He follows only Richard M. Nixon, who turned 40 shortly before his 1953 inauguration, and John C. Breckinridge, who, as The New York Times noted, was just 36 when he was sworn in as James Buchanan’s vice president in 1857. Both Nixon and Breckinridge later pursued the presidency themselves.

Also in contention are Nikki Haley (9%), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (8%), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) with 5%, and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio (5%). Assuming his likely Senate confirmation, Rubio will join Vance and Ramaswamy in the second Trump administration as one of the most prominent members of the president’s cabinet. He is expected to focus on addressing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. All four contenders are seasoned figures in American politics, each having pursued the presidency in previous election cycles. The unpredictable dynamics of a Republican primary, however, could offer opportunities for viral moments that shift their standings in the polls.

Echelon Insights released additional polling results on Tuesday showing that a significant majority of Americans are willing to give President-elect Trump the benefit of the doubt regarding his cabinet picks, including Ramaswamy, Rubio, and others. Notable appointees include South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security, Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense, and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Each nominee will face confirmation hearings, but Trump allies have made it clear they expect a Republican-controlled Senate to back the popular incoming president. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) echoed this sentiment in a Tuesday interview on CNBC, urging his colleagues to support the nominations.

On the Democratic side, 41% of poll respondents indicated they would prefer Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in 2028, highlighting the party’s ongoing struggle to pivot from a figure who performed worse than President Joe Biden in every region of the country. Despite this, Harris’s position mirrors J.D. Vance’s on the Republican side, with a significant lead over California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is in second place with 8% support.

Completing the top five are Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (7%), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (6%), and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (6%). Notably, nearly a third of Democratic voters remain undecided on a nominee, compared to 27% of Republicans, emphasizing the party’s internal struggle to find a clear leader after Biden’s departure.





Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.