Marco Rubio and J. D. Vance lead among Republicans; John Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg lead among Democrats
Poll shows Rubio and J. D. Vance at the top for Republicans and John Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg tied among Democrats for 2028 preferences.
A new nationwide poll shows Marco Rubio and J. D. Vance leading among likely Republican choices for the 2028 U.S. presidential race, while John Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg top Democratic preferences.
Top names, familiarity and party divisions
Rubio is viewed as an "excellent" presidential choice by roughly 45 percent of Republican respondents, with Vance close behind at 43 percent. Among Democrats, Ossoff and Buttigieg each earn 29 percent support as "excellent" options.
The survey interviewed 1,705 adults across the United States, including nearly 500 registered voters from each major party, and was completed on Monday. The margin of error for both the Republican and Democratic subsamples is five percentage points.
None of the four contenders have formally launched campaigns, and more than a year remains before party nomination contests. Republicans in the survey are split over whether they want a nominee to distance themselves from President Donald Trump or to continue his policies; Democrats are debating how aggressively to oppose Trump, including the question of impeachment.
The poll also measures wider name recognition and support: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is seen as an "excellent" choice by 32 percent of Republicans, and the standing of Donald Trump Jr. is being tracked among other potential contenders.
Rubio, described in the poll write-up as the main American diplomat, has not participated in many of the unsuccessful Iran peace talks, while Vance publicly blamed the Republicans' heavy midterm losses on that conflict. Ossoff has drawn attention for direct criticism of Trump, calling him corrupt and unfit for public office, and last week secured reelection in Georgia by an 18-point margin after Trump had carried the state in 2024 by two points.
Buttigieg, a former U.S. transportation secretary and 2020 presidential candidate, remains more familiar to national Democratic voters than some rivals: almost one in five Democrats say they have never heard of him, and roughly one-third say the same about Ossoff. Among Republicans, very few do not recognize Vance, while about one-sixth say they do not know Rubio. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom are also rated as "excellent" candidates by 23 percent of Democrats.
Photo: press material from the event
