Secretary of State Marco Rubio came out on top in this past weekend’s nonpartisan straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit, outpacing a packed field of would-be 2028 presidential hopefuls.
Hosted by the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University’s public policy think tank, the summit ranks among the largest annual gatherings of conservatives in the Western United States, with this year’s summit drawing over 500 attendees under the theme, “A New Birth of Freedom: Reigniting the American Dream.”
With a list of 27 potential 2028 candidates across the political spectrum, attendees were asked to select every candidate they approve of for the 2028 presidential race, according to a Centennial Institute press release.
Rubio topped that particular question with 85%, while Vice President JD Vance had 71%. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) had 55%, while nobody else in the Republican field cleared 30%. Tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk scored 5% while conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who is teasing the launch of a third party, scored the same. Unsurprisingly, prominent Democrats didn’t fare well, with former Vice President Kamala Harris garnering 0%. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) fared a little better with 1%, while top of the tree was Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) with just 3%.
A second question narrowed things further, asking attendees to pick their top choice from the same slate of candidates, with Rubio dominating with 57% support over runner-up Vance, who received 21%.
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Greg Schaller, director of the Centennial Institute, praised Rubio’s showing, framing it as grassroots validation of his record.
“Marco Rubio is a leader who has spent his career defending the principles of faith, family, and freedom without wavering,” Schaller said. “Secretary Rubio has earned this trust the hard way, and this Summit’s grassroots are telling him, loud and clear, that they’re behind him.”