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JD Vance wins CPAC straw poll with 53%, Rubio second at 35%

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, a Reuters-reported straw poll of roughly 1,600 attendees put JD Vance first and Senator Marco Rubio second, though CPAC results do not reliably forecast the party nominee.

Mar 28th 2026 · United States

Insights

  • JD Vance received about 53% of votes in CPAC's straw poll of more than 1,600 attendees.
  • Florida Senator Marco Rubio finished second with 35% of the vote.
  • No other candidate in the poll received more than 2% support.
  • The poll was taken at the American Conservative Union's CPAC meeting in Grapevine, Texas.
  • CPAC straw polls reflect activist sentiment but are not a reliable predictor of the eventual Republican nominee.

Sources