Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows a stronger performance than Vice President JD Vance in hypothetical 2028 presidential match-ups against prominent Democrats, according to a recent Emerson College National Poll. Rubio topped both former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) by a 48%-43% margin in head-to-head contests. Vance, however, secured a narrower 46%-44% advantage over Ocasio-Cortez but fell short against Harris by 4 percentage points.
In a hypothetical race against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, both Republicans trailed the governor. Rubio garnered 46% support to Vance’s 44% in a matchup against Newsom, but both Republicans were behind Newsom, who secured 49% against Vance and 48% against Rubio. The poll indicates Newsom performs better than either Vance or Rubio in these hypothetical scenarios.
The survey also tested matchups against other notable Democrats. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) held a 3-point lead over Rubio (47%-44%) and a 5-point advantage against Vance (49%-44%). Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also outperformed both Republicans, leading each by a 49%-44% margin.
The Emerson College poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters between August 16-17, with a reported margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Previously, former President Donald Trump has reportedly suggested that Vance and Rubio could form a "dream team" ticket for the 2028 election, though he has not indicated a preference for who would lead the ticket. Vance has stated his decision on a potential 2028 presidential run will be made after the November midterm elections. Rubio has previously indicated he would not seek the GOP nomination if Vance runs.
