J.D. Vance
Vice President
The sitting vice president enters the 2028 cycle as the closest thing the Republican field has to an incumbent, inheriting a national donor network and near-universal name recognition among primary voters.
Gavin Newsom
Governor, California
California's governor has spent the last two cycles building a national fundraising operation and a televised debate persona, and now converts that infrastructure into the best-funded Democratic campaign in the field.
Gretchen Whitmer
Governor, Michigan
Michigan's term-limited governor is the field's clearest Midwestern general-election argument, with a labor-aligned coalition and the fastest momentum of any Democrat currently in the top tier.
Ron DeSantis
Governor, Florida
Florida's governor retains a national donor rolodex and a policy record built for a primary electorate, but has yet to commit to a second national campaign.
Josh Shapiro
Governor, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's governor carries the strongest home-state approval numbers of any candidate in either field, in the single most decisive general-election state.
Glenn Youngkin
Fmr. Governor, Virginia
Virginia's former governor is the field's business-wing option, with private-equity fundraising reach but no current office and a shrinking share of primary attention.