2028 Republican Party presidential primaries

Selection of the Republican Party nominee From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Presidential primaries and caucuses are going to be organized by the Republican Party to select delegates to the 2028 Republican National Convention to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2028 election. The primaries and caucuses will take place in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. No primary dates have been determined.

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2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
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First place by pledged delegate allocation
Previous Republican nominee

Donald Trump


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Incumbent President Donald Trump is constitutionally ineligible to be elected to a third term as president under the Twenty-second Amendment. He is also ineligible to serve as vice president under the Twelfth Amendment.

If no member of the Trump family runs, it would be the first Republican primary since 2012 without a Trump, as Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

Candidates

Declared

More information Candidate, Born ...
Candidate Born Experience State Announcement date Campaign Ref

Dan Greaney		 (1964-09-28)September 28, 1964
(age 61)
Duxbury, Massachusetts		 Television writer California May 26, 2026
FEC filing[1]
Website		 [2]

Royce White		 (1991-04-10)April 10, 1991
(age 35)
Minneapolis, Minnesota		 Former NBA player Minnesota August 12, 2026 [3]
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Dan Greaney

Dan Greaney is a television writer, lawyer, and Harvard University graduate. Greaney is credited with writing the episode of The Simpsons "Bart to the Future" in 2000. The episode presented the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency, which took place for the first time in 2016.[4][failed verification] On May 26, 2026, Greaney announced his intention to run for president in 2028 on his Instagram account.[5] In a press release, his campaign stated he would run as a "progressive Republican in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt," naming universal health care and the Green New Deal as policy planks.[6] He held his official campaign announcement on June 5, 2026.[7]

Royce White

Royce White is a former professional basketball player. He is mainly known for his NBA career, playing three games with the Sacramento Kings in 2014. White was a candidate for Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 2022, but lost the Republican primary. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, but was defeated in the general by Amy Klobuchar. White ran for Senate once more in 2026, coming in third in the Republican primary. On August 12, the day following his loss in the primary, White announced he would seek the Republican presidential nomination.[8][3]

Formed exploratory committee

More information Candidate, Born ...
Candidate Born Experience State Exploratory committee
announced		 Ref

Gregory Bovino		 March 27, 1970
(age 56)
San Bernardino County, California		 Commander-at-large of U.S. Border Patrol
(2025–2026)		 California June 8, 2026 [9]
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Gregory Bovino

Gregory Bovino served as the commander-at-large of the United States Border Patrol from October 2025 until his removal in January 2026. In June 2026, NewsNation and The Daily Beast had reported that Bovino had taken steps towards running in the 2028 election, including forming an exploratory committee.[9][10] He told NewsNation that his campaign was currently exploratory, but would launch a formal campaign "if it all comes together."[9] Following the report, Bovino posted to X that "[if] running for President is what it takes to actually get [mass deportation] done, then all options are on the table".[11] A campaign website created by supporters of Bovino lists policy planks such as reinstating the Department of Government Efficiency and creating a "department of masculinity."[10]

Expressed interest

Individuals who have expressed an interest in running for the Republican presidential nomination[a]

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz has served as a United States senator from Texas since 2013 after being appointed as the 3rd Solicitor General of Texas by then Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, he served this role from 2003 to 2008. Initially reluctant to support Trump, Cruz has become a key Republican figure and a close ally of Trump.[12] Cruz was born in Canada after his father, preacher Rafael Cruz, immigrated there from Cuba, though he is still able to fulfill the natural-born citizen requirement due to his mother's American citizenship which he inherited.[13] He now serves as the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee after serving as the ranking member from 2023 to 2025. The runner-up to Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Cruz has said that he expects to seek the presidency again at some point. In May 2026, Cruz travelled to early primary state Iowa, prompting speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a presidential run.[14][15]

Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis has served as the 46th governor of Florida since 2019 and previously ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He is barred by the state's constitution from seeking a third term as governor. He expressed an openness towards running for president in a March 2026 podcast interview with Sean Hannity.[16] The Florida Phoenix described it as DeSantis "leaving the door open" for a potential run.[17] Later in May, DeSantis once again left the door open to run for president, responding "You never know" when asked if he has plans to run.[18] Polls from around that time show he was trailing behind Rubio and Vance.[19]

John Kennedy

John Kennedy has served as a U.S. senator from Louisiana since 2017. He said in a New Hampshire interview at Politics and Eggs that he planned to run for re-election but he would "never say never" to a possible presidential run.[20] He said in a June 2026 interview at New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College that he had been contacted by donors about a run for president and that he was open to the idea.[21]

Rand Paul

Rand Paul has served as a U.S. senator from Kentucky since 2011. He previously ran for president in 2016, dropping out after finishing fifth in the 2016 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses.[22] He indicated in a March 2026 interview on CBS News Sunday Morning that he was "considering" a run for president in 2028, saying it was a fifty-fifty chance he would run.[23] Paul stated in a June interview with Semafor that he would "look at" a presidential run after the midterms conclude.[24]

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio is the United States Secretary of State and served as a U.S. senator from Florida from 2011 to 2025. Rubio sought the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2016, losing to Donald Trump.[25] Rubio has reportedly acknowledged Vance as the clear front-runner for the nomination, and that he "will do anything he can just to support the vice president in that effort."[26] According to Vanity Fair, Rubio has said that he will not enter the race if JD Vance enters.[27] According to Politico, Rubio is also speculated as the running mate for a possible Vance run, with Trump repeatedly naming Vance and Rubio as his two most likely successors.[26] Following Rubio's prominent role in the Iran war in March 2026, speculation increased that Rubio would run for president in 2028.[28] Trump also polled a group of GOP donors at Mar-a-Lago, who overwhelmingly supported Rubio.[29] By July, it was reported by several sources that Vance had become the frontrunner for the GOP nomination over Rubio.[30][31]

JD Vance

JD Vance has served as the 50th vice president of the United States since 2025. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 2023 to 2025. In an interview in November 2025, he acknowledged giving consideration to running for president in 2028 and planned to speak with Trump about it after the midterms, but said he wants to focus on winning the midterms first.[32] In February 2026, Reuters reported that Vance and Rubio had become the central figures in speculation over Trump's possible Republican successor, while noting that Trump had declined to endorse either man.[33] In May 2026, Vance travelled to early primary state Iowa to support representative Zach Nunn, fueling speculation that he was laying groundwork for a presidential run.[34][35]

Speculated by the media

Potential Republican candidates[b]

Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth has served as Secretary of Defense since January 2025, under President Donald Trump. He previously worked as a television presenter for Fox News and served as a major in the Army National Guard. He has been considered as a potential presidential candidate by The Washington Post,[36] The Daily Beast,[37] and The New York Times.[38]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Sarah Huckabee Sanders has served as the governor of Arkansas since 2023 and previously served as the 31st White House Press Secretary in the first Trump administration. She is the daughter of current United States Ambassador to Israel and former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, who ran in the 2008 and 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries. She has been noted as a possible contender by Axios[39] and The Washington Post.[40][36]

Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp has served as the governor of Georgia since 2019. Kemp, who is retiring in 2027 due to term limits, is widely seen as a leading alternative to Trump within the Republican Party. In May 2025, he announced that he would not run in the 2026 United States Senate election in Georgia, a decision that fueled speculation about a possible presidential campaign in 2028.[41] He has been identified as a potential 2028 presidential candidate by CNN[41] and The Washington Post.[42]

Glenn Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin served as the 74th governor of Virginia from 2022 to 2026. Youngkin was elected in 2021 by 2 points in a state where Republicans had not won a statewide election since 2009.[43] Youngkin founded a new educational policy group, Empowering America's Parents, which will be launching ads in several battleground states, fueling speculation for a presidential campaign in 2028. He has been suggested as a potential contender by NBC News[44] and CBS News.[45]

Declined to run

The following individuals have publicly denied interest in being a candidate:

Primaries and caucus calendar

The primary and caucus calendar is expected to be very similar to previous primaries, with the Republican National Committee (RNC) voting on a plan to maintain the same primary calendar in January 2026.[65][66] Following a meeting with the RNC, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann stated that Iowa was likely to hold its status as the first caucus in the nation.[67] South Carolina Republican Party Committeeman Tyson Grinstead also said that South Carolina would keep its status as the first Southern primary.[66]

Timeline

See also: Timeline of the 2028 United States presidential election

2025

  • February 22: Vice President Vance wins the 2025 CPAC presidential straw poll with 61%, with Steve Bannon in second at 12%.[68]
  • May 4: Trump says in an interview with NBC News that he will only serve two terms as president and will not run again after winning twice, mentioning both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as his potential successors.[69][70]

2026

Endorsements

Dan Greaney

Individuals

Pete Hegseth (undeclared)

Executive branch officials

Marco Rubio (undeclared)

Individuals

JD Vance (undeclared)

Individuals

Declined to endorse

Executive branch officials

U.S. representatives

Campaign financing

This is an overview of the money used by each campaign as it is reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Per the Federal Election Campaign Act 1971, all contributions by an individual are itemized (catalogued) by the FEC when the total value of their contributions exceeds $200. Campaign finance reports for the third quarter of 2026 will become available on October 15, 2026.[81] This table does not include contributions made to Super PACs or party committees supporting the candidate. Each value is rounded up to the nearest dollar.

More information Candidate, Total raised ...
Overview of campaign financing for candidates in the
2028 Republican Party presidential primaries through Q2 2026 (June 30, 2026)
Candidate Total raised Individual
contributions		 Pct
unitemized		 Spent Debt Cash
on hand
Greaney[82] $59,675 $4,494 31.2% $19,968 $58,181 $39,708
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Opinion polling

Nationwide

Main article: Nationwide opinion polling for the 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
This section is transcluded from Nationwide opinion polling for the 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries. (edit | history)
Local regression graph of all polls conducted after the 2024 election
More information Aggregator, Updated ...
Aggregator Updated Ted Cruz Ron DeSantis Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Marco Rubio Donald Trump Jr.[c] JD Vance Other Lead
270toWin[83] August 14, 2026 2.5% 8.0% 1.5% 20.8% 11.0% 39.6% 25.0%[d] Vance +18.8%
Race to the WH[84] August 14, 2026 3.4% 7.9% 3.7% 20.8% 10.4% 39.3% 16.4%[e] Vance +18.5%
Real Clear Polling August 14, 2026 3.1% 7.1% 3.8% 21.6% 11.8% 39.8% 7.8%[f] Vance +18.2%
Aggregate 3.0% 7.7% 3.0% 21.1% 11.1% 39.6% — Vance +18.5%
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Statewide

Main article: Statewide opinion polling for the 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
  JD Vance
  No polls conducted

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Individuals listed below have, as of August 2026, personally expressed an interest in seeking the 2028 Republican Party presidential nomination in at least two reliable media sources in the last six months.
  2. [b]
    Individuals listed below have, as of August 2026, been mentioned as potential 2028 presidential candidates in at least two reliable media sources in the last six months.
  3. [c]
    Donald Trump Jr. has denied interest in being a candidate:
  4. [d]
    John Kennedy 5.0%, Vivek Ramaswamy 2.5%, Nikki Haley 2.5%, Tucker Carlson 2.3%, Sarah Huckabee Sanders 1.5%, Josh Hawley 1.5%, Greg Abbott 1.0%, Tom Cotton 1.0%, Tulsi Gabbard 1.0%, Marjorie Taylor Greene 1.0%, Rand Paul 1.0%, Rick Scott 1.0%, Tim Scott 1.0%, Lee Zeldin 1.0%, Glenn Youngkin 0.7%
  5. [e]
    Nikki Haley 2.8%, Brian Kemp 2.2%, Tucker Carlson 2.1%, Vivek Ramaswamy 2.1%, Sarah Huckabee Sanders 1.9%, Thomas Massie 1.4%, Byron Donalds 1.3%, Josh Hawley 1.3%, Greg Abbott 1.3%
  6. [f]
    Nikki Haley 3.5%, Vivek Ramaswamy 2.3%, Tucker Carlson 2.0%

References

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