A new poll revealed some surprising results when it comes to who voters in both parties would prefer for the 2028 presidential ticket.
The numbers continue to fluctuate as time goes on, but if the outcome of this poll holds, we could see Secretary of State Marco Rubio facing off against Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14).
An AtlasIntel U.S. National Poll showed Ocasio-Cortez with 26 percent support, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 22.4 percent and California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 21.2 percent. Former Vice President Kamala Harris barely registers in this poll, trailing the top three contenders with 12.9 percent support.
Among Republican primary voters, Rubio had a decisive lead with 45.4 percent support. This places him well ahead of Vice President JD Vance, who has 29.6 percent support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is at 11.2 percent.
Ocasio-Cortez has not committed to seeking the Democratic nomination for 2028, but she has not rejected the idea. When asked about her presidential prospects, she said, “I mean, I can’t say that I’ve ruled it out,” according to Politico.
Fox News reported on other comments she made earlier this year. While speaking at an event, she was asked about the idea. “They assume that my ambition is positional; they assume that my ambition is a title or a seat. And my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country,” she said.
AOC’s support among Democratic voters remains strong, with many voters wanting her to run. She is seen by many as the progressive successor to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
AOC to Politico: “I come from a working-class family. I didn’t come from a militant leftist family. I believe that these are the prescriptions that are going to help us as a country.
— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) July 20, 2026
On 2028: “I mean, I can’t say that I’ve ruled it out."https://t.co/DrV7jn2rlr
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On the other side, Rubio’s star has risen considerably during his stint as Secretary of State. Earlier polls showed him polling behind Vance, who is still considered a viable contender for the nomination. Prediction markets list Rubio as the favorite to succeed Trump, with a 20 percent chance of winning the 2028 race.
Marco Rubio should run for President, JD Vance stays as VP as most do for 8 years anyways.
— Joshua Hartley (@JHartley2) July 23, 2026
Marxist slaying, Cuba saving Rubio easily beats Marxist AOC.
AOC’s grandest accomplishment is imploding NYC Tech world by scaring out Amazon HQ2, what can she even run on?
Indeed, his chances of winning the GOP nomination have quadrupled in recent months thanks to his growing support in the MAGA base. However, Rubio has not so much as hinted that he is interested in the position and has suggested Vance would make a great nominee.
Of course, it’s still early and there is no telling how things could change between now and November 5, 2028. We don’t even know who’s running yet. But after the fallout for the midterm elections settles down, the candidates will soon come out of the woodwork.
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