EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is hopeful for a 2028 GOP ticket of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Luna, the first member of Congress to endorse Vance for president in 2028, told the Washington Examiner that it would be a tough choice if Republicans had to pick between the vice president and the secretary of state.
“Based on performance of which I still support JD for a top of ticket, but also, too, I have a really tough choice, especially if Marco decides to jump in,” Luna said in an interview. “Ideally, I’d like to see a unity ticket up, but I don’t know if that’ll happen. And so admittedly, I love them both, and so I’m kind of hoping that maybe a deal will be made ahead of time, so that we’re not forced to choose between the two.”
Luna threw her support behind Vance in December during an event at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest.
“Admittedly, when I did my full backing, that was before or I think that was either shortly after Marco had said that he wasn’t running or that he wouldn’t run if JD ran,” Luna said. “It was like somewhere around that time, and I think at that point in time, JD was kind of — and he still is — I think, considered the top, you know, the top one. But I am from Florida, and obviously we still love Marco, and so it’s a tough choice.”
Neither Vance nor Rubio has announced their intention to run to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. But both men are seen as the top two likely contenders from Trump’s Cabinet.
Trump has said he could see either of them as his successor.
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“We have JD, obviously, the vice president, who’s great. Marco’s great. I’m not sure if anyone would run against those two. I think if they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable,” Trump said last year.
According to a straw poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month, Vance earned support from about 53% of attendees, and Rubio came in second with 35%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Jr. tied at 2%.