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Vance Tops CPAC Straw Poll With Rubio a Strong Second

The activist survey points to a two-person field taking shape within core GOP circles.

Vice President JD Vance, chair of the newly formed Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, speaks during the task force's first meeting in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Friday, March 27, 2026.
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Overview

  • At CPAC's Texas conference, a straw poll of more than 1,600 attendees put Vice President JD Vance at 53% and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 35%, with no one else topping 2%.
  • Rubio jumped from 3% in last year's CPAC poll to 35% this year, and coverage ties the rise to his high-profile work on Venezuela and Iran.
  • Vance, who won last year's survey with 61%, remains the preferred choice among these activists despite a smaller share this time.
  • Rubio has said he would support Vance if he runs for president, signaling a possible early consolidation among core conservatives.
  • CPAC's straw poll is an informal gauge of activist sentiment rather than a scientific or nationwide measure, as even supportive outlets note.