It’s a shadow campaign for the post-Trump era, with many of the Republican Party’s big names, whose image has been somewhat tarnished by Trump’s omnipresent aura in recent years, trying to carve out a niche for themselves among the party faithful as soon as possible. Positioning among the next generation of leaders was done both publicly at the convention and behind the scenes, as Trump’s vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), 39, sparked discussions about who will come next.
A handful of high-profile potential candidates toured the country, including Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Kristi L. Noem of South Dakota, as well as former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Also in attendance were Senators Vance, Marco Rubio (Florida), Tim Scott (South Carolina) and Ted Cruz (Texas).
Some potential 2028 presidential candidates spoke from the main stage and threw their support behind Trump, including his 2024 presidential rivals DeSantis, Haley and Scott. Rubio, whom Trump has been seriously considering as his vice president, also got a speaking slot and sat next to Trump on Wednesday in his box in the convention arena.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) concluded that, based on speeches Tuesday night by many rising GOP stars, “the 2028 Republican nomination is not assured.”
“I mean there are a lot of people, starting with Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who are clearly not done and shouldn’t be done and are widely accepted,” he said. “Do I think people are positioning themselves? I certainly am.”
Haley, who was considered by Never Trumpers as their best bet in the 2024 primaries, ended up in Milwaukee Despite their rivalry, she encouraged voters to support her former foe in a prime-time speech and gave him her “unwavering support, period.”
Haley did not, however, participate in any other public events during the convention.
Noem and Youngkin spoke at a breakfast hosted by a prominent evangelical group. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also running in 2024, mingled with delegates on the convention floor Thursday night before Trump’s speech. Sanders spoke at a lunch hosted by the National Federation of Republican Women.
The interest in the future was evident on the patio of an elegant Italian villa overlooking Lake Michigan on Wednesday, where DeSantis reintroduced himself to Iowa Republican voters. (He placed second in their caucuses this year.)
The Iowa delegates ate lunch alongside Sen. Joni Ernst and other top Republicans, discussing the past two days and getting excited about Vance’s speech later that evening. DeSantis then took to the grand patio. He was a familiar face who had crisscrossed their state for months, braving all sorts of weather to deliver a message about how great Florida would be under his leadership.
Many Iowans said they voted for Trump in their caucuses, but it wasn’t because they didn’t like DeSantis. His time just hadn’t come.
DeSantis didn’t mention the Trump-Vance ticket. Instead, he touted its accomplishments: passing a bill to cut government spending, overhauling the higher education system and cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests on campuses. He praised Iowa’s conservative leanings compared to Florida.
“It’s not just about winning elections,” he said. “It’s all about horse racing and all that stuff. The most important thing is to do your job.”
Ernst insisted there was “no heir apparent” to Trump.
“Everyone will come and everyone will compete, and that’s a really important thing,” she said.
Jockeying 2028 The Vance pick could come especially early because Trump will only be able to serve one more four-year term after already spending four years in the White House if he wins the November election. Vance is closely aligned with Trump’s populist message, and his allies argue that in choosing him, Trump has essentially anointed the heir apparent and successor to his MAGA movement. Some Republicans also see Trump’s decision to pick Vance as a sign that the GOP’s “America First” brand is here to stay, even after he’s no longer the party’s leader.
“Trump has chosen his nominee in four years, and that’s an important part of this,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for Senate. “J.D. Vance is now the front-runner to become president after Donald Trump.”
Trump’s decision to promote Vance confirms the meteoric political rise of the Ohio Republican, who served in the Senate for less than two years. Still, there’s no guarantee that Trump and Vance will have the same relationship in four years. Trump broke with his former Vice President Mike Pence after Pence refused to overturn the 2020 election results, and many former Trump aides have warned against a second Trump term.
Republicans also note that many rising GOP stars, including those who ran in 2016, have given up running in 2024 because of Trump’s decision to seek another term.
“There’s going to be a lot of pent-up energy, and the 2028 Republican primary race could be very close because a lot of candidates have chosen not to run this time around,” said Terry Sullivan, Rubio’s 2016 campaign manager. “It’s very unusual for candidates who ran in a previous election to not run.”
Many big names participated in the early voting in Milwaukee, making sure to meet with delegates and address influential conservative organizations. Youngkin, for example, attended a breakfast with the South Carolina delegation.
New Hampshire GOP Chairman Christopher Ager said that while potential 2028 primary candidates focus most of their public comments on supporting Trump, they are meeting with delegates in early primary states to introduce themselves.
He pointed to a joint event with delegates from New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, key states in any nominating race, along with some potential 2028 contenders, though he declined to say who those people would be. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is also running against Trump, and Ramaswamy were seen entering the event.
“We’re meeting with people who could be considered potential candidates while we’re here,” Ager said. “Everyone knows this seat is coming up in 2028, so it’s not too early to quietly lay the groundwork.”
Republican advisers and strategists have warned that it is too early to predict where the country will be in four years and have highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the Democratic ticket in 2024.
Several early state delegates have warned that while potential candidates could soon land in their states,, They want to see what potential candidates will do next. And after watching the fierce battle for the GOP nomination in 2024, they realize some of them may need to lick their wounds.
“It’s not nice to see someone lose,” said April Melton, an alternate delegate from Iowa. “They need time to heal.”
Some convention attendees argued that Trump’s decision to pick Vance could be a hindrance to others future Republican candidates chose to nominate him first because he would have the advantage over the party base. Republican delegates nominated him first when asked about 2028 at this week’s convention.
“I like the idea of Trump mentoring this young man,” said Kathleen Winn, an alternate delegate from Arizona in her 60s. Like others, she has taken note of Vance’s spirited defense of Trump. “People are starting to say, ‘Oh, he’s been indicted or whatever,’” she said. “JD was able to break it down from a legal, non-emotional standpoint.”
Leanna Derrick, a New Mexico delegate, called DeSantis a “hero” as she left a Milwaukee panel where he spoke. Derrick has no problem with DeSantis running in 2028 but said Vance is the obvious successor.
“That’s what I would like to see, as long as he doesn’t do like Mike Pence,” she said.
