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Very early presidential polling: Vance and Rubio lead GOP, Buttigieg has narrow Dem lead

The poll shows Rubio gaining 15 points since February as Buttigieg says he may consider a 2028 run.

  • According to the Emerson College poll released this week, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leads the Democratic field with 18% support, while Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio head the Republican primary race.
  • Republican support has shifted dramatically since February, when Vance held about 52% of the likely primary vote; Vance now leads with 36%, just one point ahead of Rubio, marking a major realignment.
  • Following Buttigieg in Democratic polling are California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 16% and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 11%; among Republicans, 15% remain undecided while Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley each polled at 5%.
  • Despite leading Democratic polls, Buttigieg remains unclear on a 2028 run, while President Donald Trump refused to choose between Vance and Rubio, calling them a "perfect ticket" for the next election.
  • Early voting attention currently focuses on midterm elections, including a Senate runoff in Texas and nationwide battles over congressional redistricting, even as 2028 candidates quietly jockey for position.
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Marco Rubio and Pete Buttigieg starred in an intense race to lead their parties to the White House in 2028 to JD Vance and Gavin Newsom, respectively, while support for them has fallen sharply in recent months. According to Emerson College’s latest poll, Republican voters’ support for Rubio skyrocketed to 35%, 20 points higher than in February. Although Vance still gets a point (36%) among the conservative electorate, the vice president has lost…

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realnewsnow.com broke the news on Friday, May 29, 2026.
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