Speculation around the 2028 Republican presidential race is already heating up — and according to CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten, Vice President JD Vance is the man to beat.

During a Thursday morning segment on CNN News Central, Enten told anchor Kate Bolduan that early polling shows Vance commanding a dominant 40% of Republican support for the 2028 nomination — far ahead of other potential contenders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (8%) and Donald Trump Jr. (7%).

“You know, I’m gonna quote the esteemed scholar Larry David and say, ‘Pretty, pretty good,’” Enten quipped. “There’s no one even close to him.”

While Bolduan noted that 2028 is still years away, Enten pushed back, citing historical trends: since 1980, early frontrunners in wide-open GOP primaries have gone on to win the nomination 63% of the time. “When you’re dealing with fields that are five, six, seven, eight, nine, even twenty candidates, and one person is already breaking away — you have to take that seriously,” Enten said.

Enten also noted the unique advantage Vance could hold if Trump throws his full weight behind his vice president. “If Donald Trump decides to get behind his VP, this GOP nomination fight in 2028 is likely, adios amigos — over,” he said. “The polling says it, the history says it — at this point, things all seem to be coming up for JD.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)