A new US political poll has Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the top of the potential Democratic field for the 2028 presidential election, while Marco Rubio has emerged as the leading Republican candidate.
According to the latest AtlasIntel poll, 26 percent of Democratic voters said they would support an Ocasio-Cortez presidency.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg finished second among Democratic hopefuls, followed by Gavin Newsom in third.
Rubio dominates the Republican field
On the GOP side, Secretary of State Rubio led the field with 45.4 percent support among GOP primary voters.
He was followed by Vice President JD Vance and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who trailed well behind the Secretary of State.
The poll comes as speculation mounts about who might ultimately succeed Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket in 2028.
Trump is fueling speculation about a Republican succession
In a speech during a White House event on May 12, Trump openly discussed possible Republican candidates, but declined to endorse Rubio or Vance.
“Who will it be? Will it be JD? Will it be somebody else? I don’t know,” Trump told attendees.
The president then playfully encouraged the audience to root for their preferred candidate.
“Who likes JD Vance?” Trump asked as applause broke out.
“Who likes Marco Rubio?” he continued, before joking that the pair “sound like a good ticket”.
The “Dream Team” comment is attention-grabbing
Trump described a possible Rubio-Vance combination as a “dream team,” but emphasized that he is not formally endorsing either candidate.
“By the way, I believe it’s a dream team, but those are just minor details,” Trump said.
“That doesn’t mean you have my support under any circumstances,” he added, while saying the pairing “sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate.”
The remarks immediately fueled further speculation about the future of the Republican Party after Trump.
Ocasio-Cortez avoids confirmation of White House bid
Ocasio-Cortez has not confirmed whether she plans to run for president in 2028.
Earlier this month, she addressed the speculation during an interview with Democratic strategist David Axelrod.
“They assume my ambition is a title or a seat,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And my ambition is much bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country.”
“Presidents come and go”
The New York congresswoman argued that political goals matter more than political office itself.
“Presidents come and go. Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go,” she said.
“But single-payer health care is forever, the living wage is forever, workers’ rights are forever, women’s rights, all of that.”
Her comments are likely to boost her standing among progressive Democratic voters, many of whom see her as one of the party’s most influential younger leaders.
The race at the beginning of 2028 is already taking shape
Although the 2028 presidential election is years away, the poll shows how both parties are already beginning to shape their potential post-Trump political futures.
For Democrats, the poll shows growing support for progressive voices like Ocasio-Cortez, while Republicans appear increasingly focused on a contest between establishment conservatives and pro-Trump populists.
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