Who Replaces Trump? The 2028 Republican Race Is Still Wide Open
Who will Republicans pick for president in 2028? Nobody knows yet, and the answer is about two years away.
Donald Trump is barred from running again, so the party needs a new leader. The names people mention most are Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A New York Times and Siena University poll from late October had Vance at 33 percent among likely Republican primary voters, and Rubio at 23 percent.
Then the midterm elections went badly for Republicans. CNN reported that the loss has sparked a party argument about Trump's future, which could complicate Vance's path.
Then came the twist. Asked on 60 Minutes whether he would endorse a successor, Trump said “probably, not necessarily”. He even suggested he might sit it out.
That's the key idea. The president's backing usually carries a lot of weight in this race, and Trump says an endorsement from him would play a big role if he makes one.
Here's the other side. Vance still has real advantages. Primary voters tend to defer to vice presidents, and he has close ties to the party's biggest donors.
Plenty is still unofficial. No major Republican has formally launched a campaign, and Ron DeSantis said he is not interested in running in 2028.
Watch Iowa. The Republican National Committee kept the Iowa caucuses first on its 2028 calendar, ahead of New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
So the favorite is clear for now, but the finish line is a long way off, and nothing about 2028 is settled.
