J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Jon Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg are among the potential candidates attracting the most attention in the early discussion about the 2028 presidential election in the United States. This is according to a national Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from November 6 to 9 among 1,705 American adults. None of the four has officially announced a candidacy.
Among Republicans and independents who lean Republican, 36% describe Secretary of State Marco Rubio as an „excellent candidate“ for president, while 34% give the same rating to Vice President J.D. Vance. Among registered Republicans, the gap is wider: Rubio receives 40%, while Vance gets 36%.
In the assessment of all Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 22% describe Rubio as a „good candidate,“ while Vance receives that rating from 28%. Ron DeSantis, who is also among the names being discussed, receives a rating of „excellent candidate“ from 28% and „good candidate“ from 24%.
Ossoff and Buttigieg are the leading names among Democrats
Among Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg each receive a 20% rating as an „excellent candidate.“ Among registered Democrats, Buttigieg stands at 26%, while Ossoff is at 25%.
Ossoff is less well known nationally. Around 43% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say they have not heard of him, compared with 31% for Buttigieg. The former transportation secretary already took part in the 2020 presidential race, while Ossoff won reelection to the Senate in Georgia by 18 percentage points after the November 3 vote, Reuters reports.
Among the other Democrats being discussed, Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom each receive a 23% rating as an „excellent candidate.“ Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stands at 15%.
An early vote, with no official candidacies
The results do not represent a preference in an actual primary election, but rather an assessment of potential candidates more than a year before the nomination process begins. Nevertheless, greater name recognition could give politicians an advantage in fundraising and building a national campaign.
„That is a world away,“ Democratic pollster and political strategist Elaine Kamarck told Reuters. She said many politicians are still deciding whether to run at all, and that early polls do not show who will ultimately lead.
President Donald Trump is at the center of the early calculations in the Republican Party. Reuters reports that he has spoken with allies about whom they prefer – Vance or Rubio – but said in an interview with CBS that he would „not necessarily“ endorse a candidate in the primaries. Among Republicans in the poll, 52% prefer the next nominee to take a different approach from Trump’s, while 46% want a similar approach.
Sources: investing.com