New Poll Shows GOP Aligning Around Vance as Democrats Remain Splintered Without a Clear Leader

Verasight - Polling Results - 2028 Republican Candidate Favorability

Verasight - Polling Results - 2028 Democratic Candidate Favorability

Verasight - Polling Results - Partisan Lean Breakdown

New Verasight poll finds nearly half of independents feel unrepresented heading into 2028

While one side of the electorate is beginning to consolidate around leadership, a large share of voters, particularly independents, feel unrepresented by either party.”

— Ben Leff, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Verasight

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, May 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new national poll from Verasight, a nonpartisan survey research firm that collects verified, representative survey responses, shows the 2028 presidential race beginning to take shape with Republicans consolidating around an early frontrunner while Democrats remain divided and a large share of voters remain politically unclaimed.

For Republicans, JD Vance has emerged as the clear early leader, capturing 37% support in the 2028 primary field, more than doubling his closest competitors:
• Marco Rubio: 16%
• Donald Trump Jr.: 13%
• Ron DeSantis: 7%.

For Democrats, the field remains fragmented, with no candidate securing even a quarter of the vote:
• Kamala Harris: 22%
• Gavin Newsom: 15%
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 13%
• Pete Buttigieg: 12%

For independents, 45% say neither party represents them, underscoring a significant challenge for both parties and leaving a large, potentially decisive bloc of voters up for grabs.

Self-Identified MAGA voters remain aligned on key issues even as the movement begins to move beyond Trump:
• 61% say conflict with Iran does not violate the “no forever wars” promise
• Nearly 80% say such action is at least somewhat consistent with MAGA values
• 29% say the movement should grow beyond Trump personally
• 26% say MAGA should remain tied directly to President Trump

“The data shows that the race for the 2028 Democratic nominee is wide open,” said Ben Leff, CEO and Co-Founder of Verasight. “While one side of the electorate is beginning to consolidate around leadership, a large share of voters, particularly independents, feel unrepresented by either party. That tension is likely to define the early stages of the 2028 race.”

Verasight collected data for this survey from April 21–23, 2026, among 2,000 U.S. adults. The data are weighted to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of error is ±2.3%.

To read the full report, please visit https://reports.verasight.io/reports/variety10126#survey-details.

About Verasight
Verasight is a nonpartisan survey research company founded to restore trust in survey data. Built by researchers and methodologists, Verasight combines multi-mode recruitment, 100% in-house data collection, and continuous verification to ensure every response comes from a real person. Its infrastructure powers academic research, government studies, and national media coverage, including polling data for ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, FOX News Media, and NBC News.

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