By Joke Kujenya
EARLY POLLING has identified Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris as the leading choices for the Republican and Democratic presidential nominations ahead of the 2028 United States (US) election, despite no official candidate declaring an intention to run.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the 2028 presidential election remains more than two years away, but a series of polls has assessed the prospects of several political figures.
Recent polling found that 68% of Americans have already given thought to the next presidential election, with many respondents identifying a preferred candidate.
A Harvard CAPS Harris Poll conducted between July 11 and July 12 found Vance leading the Republican field with 42% support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed with 20%, while Donald Trump Jr received 18%.
Other possible Republican contenders included Tucker Carlson on 8%, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on 6%, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley on 6% and someone else on 2%.
The same poll found Harris leading the Democratic field with 37% support, placing her 13 points ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who received 24%.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg secured 10%, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro received 9%, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez had 9%, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recorded 5% and someone else also received 5%.
The findings also showed Harris’ support had fallen by seven points compared with polling conducted in May 2026.
RealClear Polling‘s 2028 Democratic Party Presidential Nomination tracker, based on eight recent polls, placed Harris first on 28.1% and Newsom second on 16.5% as of July 15.
RC Polling also noted that Polymarket odds gave Newsom a 20% chance of winning the Democratic presidential nomination, while Harris was on 7%.
For Republicans, RealClear Polling’s 2028 Republican Presidential Nomination tracker placed Vance on 39.4% support across the last eight polls as of July 15, giving him a 19.3 point-lead over Rubio.
It also reported that Polymarket gave Vance a 42% chance of securing the Republican nomination, while Rubio stood on 27%.
Reports have indicated that Rubio has no interest in running and that President Donald Trump has chosen Vance to succeed him.
Polling released in June by The Public Sentiment Institute found Harris would defeat Vance in a head-to-head 2028 contest with 48.4% of the vote compared with Vance’s 38.3%.
Another 12.3% of respondents said they were undecided.
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