Marco Rubio Favored by MAGA Voters as JD Vance's 2028 Running Mate, Poll Finds

Republicans and independent voters who lean Republican prefer Senator Marco Rubio over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a potential running mate for Vice President JD Vance in 2028, according to a new Daily Mail/YouGov poll. Rubio garners 33 percent support, a 20-point lead over DeSantis, who received 13 percent.

Among self-identified MAGA supporters, Rubio's support increases to 45 percent. Among registered voters who stated they will definitely vote, Rubio holds 41 percent. However, 34 percent of respondents indicated they were unsure about Vance's potential running mate choice.

Other potential candidates registered lower support. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley received five percent, while Senator Tim Scott, former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy each received three percent. When asked who they expect Vance to choose, Rubio led with 22 percent, followed by DeSantis at eight percent, with 55 percent remaining unsure.

While Vance has not officially announced a 2028 presidential bid, his potential candidacy is being discussed within Republican circles. Senator Jim Banks endorsed Vance in September, becoming the first sitting senator to do so. Vance himself has deferred questions about a 2028 run, telling Reuters he is a "procrastinator" and has not given it much thought, while also engaging in pointed remarks about potential rivals like Senator Ted Cruz.

Rubio has publicly endorsed Vance, stating he would be the first to support his friend if Vance decided to run, though Rubio has not disclosed his own future political ambitions. He previously stated in May that he wanted to be Secretary of State and would consider future possibilities later.

DeSantis has expressed a strong inclination against serving as a vice president. In July 2023, he stated on a podcast that he is "not a No. 2 guy" and believes the vice presidency "doesn't really have any authority." Earlier, he told Newsmax he was "probably more of an executive guy." In November 2023, he asserted, "The only tickets that are in the future are with DeSantis at the top." After his 2024 presidential campaign ended in January 2024, he endorsed Donald Trump but still deflected talk of becoming Trump's running mate.

Haley has also dismissed the possibility of being a vice-presidential candidate. In January 2024, she declared, "I don't want to be anybody's vice president. That is off the table."

Tim Scott, who initially stated during his 2023 White House run that he "did not enter this race to come in second place," later softened his stance by June 2024, calling the prospect of being Trump's running mate a "great honor." However, his immediate focus is on his re-election campaign for the Senate in 2028, as confirmed by his campaign in March 2026.

The poll surveyed 1,053 U.S. adult citizens from October 2-5, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points for the full sample. The specific question about Vance's running mate was posed to 385 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.