The race for 2028 hasn't officially started yet.
But one Republican is already running away with it.
And JD Vance just delivered crushing news that will make every 2028 GOP hopeful rethink their plans.
Vice President dominates early primary polling by historic margins
New Hampshire Republicans sent a message to the rest of the GOP field that should make anyone with White House ambitions think twice about challenging Vice President JD Vance.
A Saint Anselm College poll released this week showed Vance crushing potential rivals with 57 percent support among likely Republican primary voters.¹
Secretary of State Marco Rubio came in a distant second with just nine percent.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis managed only seven percent despite his high-profile tenure as governor and previous presidential run.
The rest of the field barely registered a pulse.
Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Tulsi Gabbard each pulled four percent.
Ted Cruz and Glenn Youngkin were stuck at one percent.
Those aren't poll numbers.
That's a demolition.
Trump's heir apparent builds unprecedented fundraising machine
Vance isn't just winning in polls.
He's doing something no vice president has ever done before.
In March 2025, Vance took on the unprecedented role of Republican National Committee Finance Chairman while still serving as vice president.²
The RNC reported hauling in $56.1 million during the first quarter of 2025 alone, setting a record for a non-election year.³
By mid-November, the committee had amassed more than $86 million in cash on hand.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters credited Vance's dual role as "pivotal to the GOP's aggressive push on both voter turnout and fundraising."
With the warchest and infrastructure gains, the 2025 off year elections might have been different if only the administration had some true America First accomplishments to point to.
While other potential candidates are still figuring out how to navigate Trump's shadow, Vance is building a war chest that will make it nearly impossible for rivals to compete.
He's not waiting until 2027 to start his campaign.
He's running it right now, under the guise of supporting the party.
Rubio's surprise endorsement seals Vance's frontrunner status
The most telling sign of Vance's dominance came from an unexpected source.
Marco Rubio, who ran his own presidential campaign in 2016 and clearly had ambitions for 2028, essentially bowed out before the race even started.
"Marco has been very clear that JD is going to be the Republican nominee if he wants to be," a White House insider told Politico.⁴
Rubio made his position public during an interview on Fox News, calling Vance "a great nominee" and his "close friend."⁵
"I think he's doing a great job as vice president," Rubio said. "He's a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it."
Rubio made clear he plans to serve out his full term as Secretary of State through January 2028, which would effectively preclude a presidential run.
President Trump has openly floated a Vance-Rubio ticket as "unstoppable."
When potential rivals start endorsing you three years before the primary, you know the race is already over.
DeSantis tried to brush off the poll numbers by telling CNN he's "not thinking about anything" because Trump hasn't even been in office for a year.
That's what losing candidates always say when they know they're getting buried in early polling.
The reality is brutal for anyone not named JD Vance.
He's simultaneously serving as vice president, RNC Finance Chairman, and de facto 2028 frontrunner while building relationships with every major Republican donor in the country.
His favorability rating among likely Republican primary voters sits at 77 percent.⁶
Rubio and Tulsi Gabbard tie for second at 58 percent and 57 percent respectively.
DeSantis, who was supposed to be the next generation of Republican leadership, comes in fourth at 56 percent.
Nikki Haley is dead in the water with just 25 percent favorability.
The party has already made its choice, whether anyone wants to admit it or not.
Vance represents the continuation of Trump's America First movement without the baggage or the age.
He's 41 years old, articulate, unafraid to confront the Left's sacred cows, and has Trump's explicit blessing.
The question isn't whether Vance will win the 2028 nomination.
The question is whether anyone else is foolish enough to waste millions of dollars finding out.
¹ WMUR, "2028 New Hampshire poll: Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom leading," November 25, 2025.
² NPR, "Vice President Vance has a new gig: fundraising for the Republican National Committee," March 18, 2025.
³ Fox News, "Republican National Committee showcases record fundraising as party builds 2026 war chest," April 17, 2025.
⁴ The Daily Beast, "Vance's Bestie Outs His Plans to Run for Presidency in 2028," November 2025.
⁵ The Hill, "Marco Rubio says JD Vance would be great GOP nominee for 2028," July 28, 2025.
⁶ University of New Hampshire Survey Center, "Buttigieg, Newsom & Ocasio-Cortez Lead Democrats, Vance Far Out Front for GOP in Early Look at 2028 NH Primary," October 27, 2025.
