Vice President JD Vance maintained his lead as the frontrunner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, securing 53% of the vote in an impromptu poll conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, the 28th.

However, many are more focused on Senator Marco Rubio's rapid surge in support among conservatives.

While Vance saw an 8% drop from last year's 61% support, Rubio, who gained 3% last year, achieved a remarkable growth to 35% this year.

The New York Post analyzed that "Rubio's increased CPAC turnout is a result of his strengthened position among conservative voters, driven by his heightened visibility on foreign policy and national security issues, including the war in Iran."

While Vance continues to rise in prominence as a potential presidential candidate, Rubio's upward trend suggests that the final ticket has not yet been decided.

Jim McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin & Associates, the firm that conducted the poll, pointed out that all other candidates besides Vance and Rubio received less than 2% of the vote.

Vance stated in November that he was considering a potential run for the 2028 presidential election, but that he would focus on governing and helping the Republican Party win mid-term elections before making a decision. He has also described his relationship with Rubio not as a rivalry, but as a close alliance.

In late October of last year, former President Donald Trump announced that he would not run as JD Vance's running mate to circumvent presidential term limits, but garnered attention by suggesting a potential matchup against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat-New York) in 2027.

This idea was put forward by Steve Bannon, known as Trump's former strategist. In an interview with The Economist, Bannon asserted that President Trump would secure a third term.

By Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief of NNP USA / Special Contribution NNP info@newsandpost.com