Vice President JD Vance emerged as the top choice among conservatives for the next Republican presidential nominee, according to the results of a straw poll conducted at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference.

Roughly 53% of the more than 1,600 participants selected Vance in the informal survey, giving him a commanding lead among likely contenders for the party’s 2028 nomination.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished in second place with 35% support at CPAC, a major annual gathering that draws Republican lawmakers, activists, and potential presidential candidates.

The conference, held this year in Grapevine, Texas, is known for reflecting the views of the party’s conservative wing.

While the event’s straw poll is not considered a reliable predictor of the eventual nominee, it offers insight into where enthusiasm is concentrated within the Republican base.

The results provide a snapshot of support among core backers of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, as attention increasingly turns toward the post-Trump era.

Because Trump is serving his second term, he will not be eligible to run again in 2028.

At last year’s CPAC gathering in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Vance also led the straw poll, capturing 61% of the vote, followed by Steve Bannon with 12% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 7%.

Rubio, who received just 3% support in last year’s poll, has since gained prominence during Trump’s second term, particularly due to his role in major international developments, including military operations in Venezuela and Iran.

This year’s results suggest that support among conservatives is increasingly consolidating around Vance and Rubio as the leading figures in the field.

No other candidate in the poll managed to receive more than 2% of the vote.

{Matzav.com}