2028 United States presidential election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president for a term of four years. In the 2024 elections, former president Donald Trump won a non-consecutive second term. The Republican Party retained its majority in the House of Representatives and gained control of the Senate. Trump is ineligible to run for a third term, per the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. As a result, it is set to be the first time since 2012 that Trump is not the Republican nominee, and the first time since 1884 that consecutive elections lack an incumbent president on the ballot.
_(cropped)(2).jpg)
 | |||||||
November 7, 2028
| |||||||
538 members of the Electoral College 270 electoral votes needed to win | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
 2028 electoral map, based on the results of the 2020 census | |||||||
| |||||||
Background
The Republican Party returned to power in the United States in January 2025 with a government trifecta—controlling the Senate, House of Representatives, and the presidency—following the 2024 elections. Donald Trump, who was elected president in 2016 before losing a re-election bid in 2020 to Joe Biden, defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, who immediately began her campaign following Biden's withdrawal from his re-election bid. Trump's victory was attributed to a post-pandemic surge in inflation,[a] and a migrant crisis at the US–Mexico border,[b] amidst the global anti-incumbent backlash.[7][8][9] In March 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Trump v. Anderson that Trump could seek office after challenges to his ballot eligibility were raised by several state attorneys general.[10]
JD Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, was selected as Trump's running mate[11] and subsequently elected vice president.
In addition, Republicans secured control of the Senate, flipping four seats and earning a three-seat majority, while also retaining a House majority, though the party's majority narrowed to three seats after losing two seats.[12]
Electoral system
The president and vice president of the United States are elected through the Electoral College, determined by the number of senators and representatives with an additional three representatives for Washington, D.C. A majority of 270 votes is needed to win the election. 48 states use a winner-take-all system, in which states award all of their electors to the winner of the popular vote. In Maine and Nebraska, two votes are allocated to the winner of the popular vote, while each of the individual congressional districts have one vote. Electoral votes are cast by state electors in December and are counted by Congress on January 6.[13] Presidential candidates are selected in a presidential primary, conducted through primary elections run by state governments or caucuses run by state parties which bind convention delegates to candidates.[14] A brokered convention occurs when a candidate does not receive a majority of votes on the first round of voting,[15] or when a candidate withdraws.[16]
Election Day in the United States is held on the first Tuesday that falls after the first Monday in November.[17] The 2028 presidential election will occur on November 7, 2028.
Eligibility
The United States Constitution limits occupancy of the presidency to individuals who are at least thirty-five, who have been a resident in the United States for at least fourteen years, and who are a natural-born citizen.[18] Section three of the Fourteenth Amendment prevents current and former federal, state, and military officials from holding office—including the presidency—if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States.[19] A convicted felon may serve as president.[20] Incumbent president Trump, along with former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, are ineligible to be elected to a third term, as the Twenty-second Amendment prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice.[21]
Trump's suggestions on running for a third term
_(cropped).jpg)
Since beginning his second term in January 2025, Trump has floated the possibility of seeking a third term. On October 27, 2025, when asked about a third term by a reporter on Air Force One, Trump said that he would "love to do it". Trump did rule out a run for vice president, stating that it "wouldn't be right". A hypothetical third term would give Trump four additional years as president after 2028, going through the 2032 United States presidential election, and ending on January 20, 2033;[22][23] however, the possibility of a third term is unconstitutional under the Twenty-second Amendment, barring all former and current presidents from seeking more than two terms in office. If Trump intends to have the amendment repealed, he would have to either require approval from two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or he would need a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures, a process viewed by experts as extremely unlikely.[24][25]
Electoral map
Most US states are usually not highly competitive in presidential elections, often voting consistently for the same party due to longstanding demographic and ideological differences. In the Electoral College, this results in major-party candidates primarily focusing their campaigns on swing states, which can swing between parties from election to election. These states are critical for a presidential candidate's path to victory. For 2028, the expected swing states likely include the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina, all of which narrowly voted for Trump in 2024.[26][27][28] Other possible swing states include traditional Democratic strongholds that shifted toward Trump and were only narrowly won by Harris in 2024: New Jersey[29][30] and Minnesota;[31] though 2025 polls show a reversal of pro-Trump trends.[32]
States formerly considered swing states, such as Florida, Iowa, and Ohio, voted for Trump in all three of his previous election bids, as well as for Republican candidates in other state and federal elections, with increasing margins in each election and are now seen as solidly red states.[33][34][35] Former red or swing states that, since 2008, have consistently voted Democratic include Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Virginia.[36] Due to its recent record of voting Democratic even during Republican national victories, Nebraska's 2nd congressional district has been called "the Blue Dot."[37][38] Conversely, Maine's 2nd congressional district has not voted Democratic in any statewide race since 2012.
Republican Party primaries
Declared
| Candidate | Born | Experience | State | Announcement date | Campaign | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
|
September 28, 1964 (age 61) Duxbury, Massachusetts |
Lawyer, television writer |  California |
May 26, 2026 | 
FEC filing[39] |
[40] |
Exploratory committee
| Candidate | Born | Experience | State | Exploratory committee announced |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
March 27, 1970 (age 56) San Bernardino County, California |
Commander-at-large of U.S. Border Patrol (2025–2026) | California |
June 8, 2026 | [41] |
Expressed interest
_(rotated_cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
Speculated by the media
(2025–present)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Democratic Party primaries
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
,_Official_Portrait,_119th_Congress_(cropped1).jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
Third-party and independent candidates
Candidates
Formed exploratory committee
| Candidate | Born | Experience | State | Party | Exploratory committee announced |
Website | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Jo Jorgensen |
May 1, 1957 (age 69) Libertyville, Illinois |
2020 Libertarian presidential nominee |  South Carolina |
Libertarian | May 28, 2026 | VoteJo28.com | [42] |
Jo Jorgensen
Jo Jorgensen is an academic and political activist who was the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in the 2020 election. In May 2026, Jorgensen announced the formation of an exploratory committee to weigh a potential run for the 2028 Libertarian presidential nomination.[42][43]
Expressed interest
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
Afroman
Afroman is a rapper, singer and musician who ran as an independent presidential candidate in 2024. In an April 2026 interview with Reason magazine, he hinted at a possible run for the Libertarian Party's 2028 presidential nomination.[44][45]
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang is a businessman and political activist who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.[46] He later founded the Forward Party.[47] In an April 2026 interview with The New York Times, Yang said that he was "still bent out of shape" over the Democratic Party's treatment of Dean Phillips, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against Biden in 2024.[48] He stated in a June 2026 interview with Yahoo Finance that he was "willing to serve" and... "we'll have to see what 2028 holds."[49]
Declined to be candidates
The following individuals have publicly denied interest in being a candidate:
- Tucker Carlson, American conservative media personality and podcaster[50][51]
- Mark Cuban, billionaire businessman, co-owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and co-founder of 2929 Entertainment[52]
- Jack Dorsey, former CEO of Twitter and founder of Bluesky[53] (endorsed Thomas Massie)
- Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative from GA-14 (2021–2026) (endorsed Carlson)[54][55][56]
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2025–present) and 2024 presidential candidate[57]
- Bill Maher, television host, comedian, actor and political commentator[58] (endorsed Stephen A. Smith)
- Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. senator from Arizona (2019–2025) and U.S. representative from AZ-09 (2013–2019)[59][h]
Endorsements
- Executive branch officials
- Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center (2025–2026), acting chief of staff to the director of national intelligence (2025) and runner-up for WA-3 in 2022 and 2024 (Republican)[60]
- U.S. representatives
- Marjorie Taylor Greene, former GA-14 (2021–2026)[54]
- Thomas Massie, KY-4 (2012–present) (Republican)[60]
- Individuals
- Candace Owens, far-right political commentator (Republican)[61]
- Individuals
- Russell Brand, actor and comedian[62]
Timeline
Opinion polling
General election
Nationwide
JD Vance vs. Kamala Harris
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Undecided | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 43% | 48% | 9% | |||||||
| TPSI | May 21, 2026 | 893 (LV) | 39% | 47% | 14% | |||||||
| Zogby | January 1–7, 2026 | 891 (LV) | 42.1% | 48.5% | 9.4% | |||||||
| Morning Consult | November 14–16, 2025 | 2,201 (RV) | 42% | 43% | 15% | |||||||
| Overton Insights | June 23–26, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | 42% | 45% | 12% | |||||||
| Second inauguration of Donald Trump | ||||||||||||
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | December 23, 2024 | 656 (A) | 41% | 43% | 16% | |||||||
| American Pulse Research & Polling | December 17–20, 2024 | 661 (LV) | 46% | 47% | 7% | |||||||
JD Vance vs. Gavin Newsom
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Gavin Newsom (D) |
Undecided | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 45% | 38% | 7% | |||||
| Overton Insights | May 16–20, 2026 | 1,377 (V) | 39% | 44% | 9% | |||||
| UMass Lowell | March 26–30, 2026 | 1000 (RV)[j] | 36% | 33% | 12% | |||||
| Zogby | January 1–7, 2026 | 891 (LV) | 44.6% | 41% | 14.3% | |||||
| The Argument/Verasight | November 10–17, 2025 | 1,508 (RV) | 46.4% | 53.6% | – | |||||
| Morning Consult | November 14–16, 2025 | 2,201 (RV) | 42% | 41% | 17% | |||||
| Overton Insights | October 27–29, 2025 | 1,200 (RV) | 43% | 46% | 11% | |||||
| YouGov | October 16–20, 2025 | 1,000 (A) | 32% | 36% | 32% | |||||
| Echelon Insights | October 16–20, 2025 | 1,010 (LV) | 46% | 47% | 7% | |||||
| Emerson College | October 13–14, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | 45.5% | 44.9% | 9.6% | |||||
| Leger360 | August 29–31, 2025 | 849 (A) | 46% | 47% | 7% | |||||
| YouGov/Yahoo | August 29 – September 2, 2025 | 1,690 (A) | 41% | 49% | 10% | |||||
| Emerson College | August 25–26, 2025 | 1,000 (RV) | 44.4% | 43.5% | 12.1% | |||||
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | August 18, 2025 | 700 (A) | 37% | 39% | 23% | |||||
| Emerson College | July 21–22, 2025 | 1,400 (RV) | 45.3% | 42.1% | 12.6% | |||||
| Second inauguration of Donald Trump | ||||||||||
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | December 23, 2024 | 656 (A) | 37% | 34% | 29% | |||||
JD Vance vs. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 45% | 38% | 7% |
| UMass Lowell | March 26–30, 2026 | 1000 (RV)[k] | 36% | 33% | 13% |
| Focaldata | March 6–10, 2026 | 1,782 (A) | 40% | 43% | 18% |
| The Argument/Verasight | December 5–11, 2025 | 1,521 (RV) | 49% | 51% | – |
| YouGov | October 16–20, 2025 | 1,000 (A) | 34% | 34% | 32% |
| Emerson College | July 21–22, 2025 | 1,400 (RV) | 44.4% | 41.0% | 14.6% |
JD Vance vs. Josh Shapiro
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Josh Shapiro (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | December 23, 2024 | 656 (A) | 37% | 34% | 29% |
JD Vance vs. Stephen A. Smith
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Stephen A. Smith (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | August 18, 2025 | 700 (A) | 37% | 35% | 28% |
JD Vance vs. Gretchen Whitmer
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Gretchen Whitmer (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | December 23, 2024 | 656 (A) | 40% | 33% | 26% |
JD Vance vs. Pete Buttigieg
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Pete Buttigieg (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Point/SoCal Strategies | August 18, 2025 | 700 (A) | 37% | 41% | 21% |
| Emerson College | July 21–22, 2025 | 1,400 (RV) | 43.9% | 43.1% | 13.0% |
Marco Rubio vs. Kamala Harris
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
Marco Rubio (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 41% | 46% | 13% |
| Morning Consult | November 14–16, 2025 | 2,201 (RV) | 40% | 42% | 18% |
Marco Rubio vs. Gavin Newsom
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
Marco Rubio (R) |
Gavin Newsom (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 40% | 36% | 24% |
| Morning Consult | November 14–16, 2025 | 2,201 (RV) | 39% | 41% | 20% |
| Leger360 | August 29–31, 2025 | 849 (A) | 44% | 49% | 7% |
Marco Rubio vs. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
Marco Rubio (R) |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zogby | July 1–4, 2026 | 1,003 (LV) | 39% | 38% | 23% |
Statewide
Nevada
JD Vance vs. Gavin Newsom
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[i] |
JD Vance (R) |
Gavin Newsom (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tarrance Group | June 20–24, 2026 | 550 (LV) | 47% | 43% | 10% |
Notes
- Sinema was a registered Democrat until 2022, at which point she changed her registration to independent, and continued to caucus with the Senate Democrats.
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - Another candidate 2%, Not vote 17%
- Another candidate 2%, Not vote 16%
