LAKEWOOD, Colo. — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio won the non-partisan straw poll taken during this weekend’s Western Conservative Summit, topping a crowded field of potential 2028 presidential contenders.
The Summit is hosted by the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University’s public policy think tank, and is one of the largest annual gatherings of conservatives in the western United States.
Attendees were presented a list of 27 possible 2028 presidential candidates spanning the political spectrum. The poll’s first question asked attendees to select all candidates they approve of for the 2028 presidential election:
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The second question asked attendees to select the one candidate from the same list they most prefer for the 2028 presidential election. Rubio outpaced the rest of the field with 57% support, more than double runner-up J.D. Vance at 21%. The top five candidates were:
- Marco Rubio — 57%
- J.D. Vance — 21%
- Mike Pence — 5%
- Thomas Massie — 4%
- Ron DeSantis — 4%
“Marco Rubio is a leader who has spent his career defending the principles of faith, family, and freedom without wavering,” said Greg Schaller, director of the Centennial Institute. “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.”
The straw poll employed an “approval method” that allowed participants to vote for multiple responses to each question. The method ensures poll results more accurately reflect attendees’ opinions because they are not forced to abandon their nuanced preferences in favor of the most electable candidate.
This year’s Summit drew over 500 attendees, with thousands more streaming online via FOX Nation.
Convened under the theme “A New Birth of Freedom: Reigniting the American Dream,” the Western Conservative Summit brought together national figures like former Vice President Mike Pence, Kayleigh McEnany, Sage Steele, Riley Gaines, Kim Strassel and Chloe Cole.
More information about the Centennial Institute is available here.
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Centennial Institute is Colorado Christian University’s think tank, mobilizing ideas on faith, family, and freedom to strengthen America’s future. Colorado Christian University is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party for public office.
