NEW: CPAC Straw Poll Clearly Defines 2028 Presidential Race

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) released the results of its annual straw poll during its event held in Grapevine, Texas on Saturday. The poll asked more than 1,600 attendees for their preference in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.

Vice President JD Vance received 53 percent of the vote, placing him first. Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished second with 35 percent.

No other potential candidate received more than 2 percent support. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Jr. each recorded 2 percent, while all remaining options fell at or below that threshold.

The distribution of responses shows that support among CPAC participants has consolidated around two candidates. Vance and Rubio together accounted for 88 percent of the votes cast. This leaves the remainder of the field with minimal backing, establishing the current preferences at the conference as effectively a two-horse race between Vance and Rubio at this stage.

When compared with the 2025 CPAC straw poll, conducted in Oxon Hill, Maryland, several shifts are evident.

Vance’s support stood at 61 percent in 2025, eight percentage points higher than the current figure. Rubio, by contrast, received approximately 3 percent last year and has increased his share by more than 30 points in 2026.

In the prior poll, other names drew larger portions of the vote. Conservative commentator Steve Bannon received roughly 12 percent of the vote, while Governor DeSantis stood at about 7 percent. Those shares have since declined sharply.

Organizers noted that the 2026 poll drew a record number of responses for a non-presidential year.

2026 CPAC STRAW POLL: GOP PRIMARY

🟥 JD Vance: 53% (-8)
🟥 Marco Rubio: 35% (+33)
🟥 Ron DeSantis: 2% (-5)
🟥 Trump Jr: 2%
🟥 Ted Cruz: 1%
🟥 Pete Hegseth: 1%
🟥 Rand Paul: 1%
🟥 Tulsi Gabbard: 1%

(+/- shift vs 2025 CPAC Straw Poll)

McLaughlin | 3/28/2026 pic.twitter.com/OeZDEArphZ

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) March 29, 2026

Recent national polling for the 2028 Republican nomination presents a consistent overall picture while showing some differences in margin. Surveys conducted in March 2026, including one by Daily Mail/JL Partners, place Vance as the leader among Republican primary voters at around 50 percent, with Rubio in second at approximately 17 percent.

Another poll reported Vance at 36 percent, ahead of Donald Trump Jr. at 19 percent and Rubio at 9 percent. Across these surveys, Vance maintains a clear lead, yet Rubio has registered gains in recent months, particularly among certain subgroups such as independent-leaning Republicans in early-primary states.

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