Several Republicans attending the party’s midterm convention in Dallas said they would favor Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Vice President JD Vance for the 2028 presidential nomination, even as Rubio says he has no current plans to run.
The interviews, published Thursday by the Daily Mail, came ahead of Vance’s scheduled convention speech. A Financial Times/Focaldata poll cited in the report showed Vance leading among Republicans with 43% support, compared with Rubio’s 21%.
Missy Walker said Vance was the speaker she most wanted to see, but Rubio would have an edge if she were choosing a presidential nominee.
“You know, they’re both great, I might lean a little bit more toward Rubio. Gosh, he’s so good,” Walker said.
She praised Rubio’s composure, saying he does not become rattled or flustered, while also crediting Vance with those qualities.
Michael Caffey, of Rockwall, Texas, said a recent United Nations speech by Rubio had impressed him.
“I like both a lot but I think Rubio would be a great choice. Vance would be great too, but I really like Rubio,” Caffey said.
Fred Farrin, of Missouri, also selected Rubio when asked to choose. Lisa Stone favored a ticket with Rubio running for president and Vance as his running mate.
Jeannie Elliott said she hoped the two would share a ticket regardless of who led it: “Whichever one, the other is hopefully going to be vice president.”
Rubio has said he would not challenge Vance for the nomination. He was overseas as Republicans gathered in Dallas and addressed speculation about his political future in an interview with Colombian broadcaster RCN.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said. “I’m not a candidate for anything right now.”
Rubio added that his attention was entirely on his work, citing his two jobs. NBC News reported that he had privately told someone he had no plans to run, while that person said he was “keeping his options open for the future.”
A July report citing MS Now said President Donald Trump had privately indicated a preference for Vance as his successor. The account relied on people familiar with Trump’s discussions.
Former Georgia state legislator Vernon Jones defended Rubio’s absence from the convention, saying the secretary’s responsibilities required him to handle American business abroad.
“I don’t want him here. He’s the Secretary of State. He’s handling American business around the globe,” Jones said.
“JD Vance is running to make sure that we win the midterm elections. I like that,” he added.
Convention speakers included Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is running for Florida governor.
Attendees waited for hours outside the American Airlines Center, most of them there to see Trump. Erika Kirk also attended, joining Trump administration officials and Republican members of Congress in the crowd at the party’s midterm gathering, per the Daily Mail.
Trump addressed the gathering Wednesday and briefly praised Vance for identifying billions of dollars in fraud.
