WJ Straw Poll: Ron DeSantis Surges in First Survey Since Midterms
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis surged into second place in The Western Journal’s latest GOP 2028 Presidential Straw Poll, gaining 11 points in a week as support for Vice President J.D. Vance plunged.
DeSantis received 16.6 percent of the vote in the survey, conducted from Nov. 2 through Nov. 8, moving from fifth place to second place.
While it did not put him anywhere near the top — Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds that position — DeSantis’ showing represented an 11-point increase in support from the previous week, when he received a mere 5.6 percent support in our weekly, nonscientific survey.
🇺🇸 Results are in for this week’s 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll from The Western Journal! Here’s how the candidates ranked following the Oct. 26–Nov. 1 voting period:
Marco Rubio – 48.2%
JD Vance – 19.7%
Thomas Massie – 12.7%
Donald J. Trump – 9.2%
Ron DeSantis – 5.6%
Other – 4.4%A new round of voting is underway!
Visit https://t.co/UhPwxhyu6C to cast your vote and let your voice be heard. https://t.co/g44z3VynCz— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) November 2, 2026
The surge came in the days after Republicans suffered a bruising in the midterms, with DeSantis emerging as an alternative leader and potential favorite for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
Although DeSantis remained well behind Rubio, the poll’s consistent front-runner, it was clear his messaging resonated with Western Journal readers in the aftermath of the election.
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Amen, Mr. DeSantis. By now, everyone and his mother has an autopsy of the Republican Party’s disastrous 2026 midterm performance. And understandably so. There are plenty of reasons Republicans found themselves on the wrong end of an electoral bloodbath. The war… w-j.co/s/47b53 https://t.co/QA1DrZnonk
— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) November 6, 2026
Rubio continued to dominate the field this week, receiving 49.9 percent of the vote.
That represented a 1.7-point increase from the previous week’s 48.2 percent:
The latest 2028 GOP Presidential Straw Poll results are in, and the rankings are shifting! 🇺🇸
Here’s how candidates stacked up in The Western Journal’s Nov. 2–8 poll:Marco Rubio – 49.9%
Ron DeSantis – 16.6%
JD Vance – 11.7%
Thomas Massie – 10.6%
Donald J. Trump – 5.6%
Other – 5.5%A new round of voting is underway!
Head to https://t.co/UhPwxhxWh4 to cast your vote and make your voice heard.
https://t.co/yyaU6fIUa2— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) November 9, 2026
Meanwhile, Vance experienced one of the week’s biggest declines, falling from 19.7 percent support to 11.7 percent.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky finished fourth with 10.6 percent of the vote, down 2.1 points from his previous showing of 12.7 percent.
President Donald Trump finished fifth with 5.6 percent support, a decline of 3.6 points from the previous week’s 9.2 percent.
Trump is constitutionally limited to two terms and is not eligible to seek another presidential term in 2028, but he continues to attract some support in the weekly straw poll.
The “Other” category, which includes candidates receiving less than 2 percent of the vote individually, accounted for 5.5 percent of responses, up from 4.4 percent the previous week.
The Western Journal will continue tracking reader sentiment about the potential 2028 Republican field until Republican primary voters have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the polls.
If you would like to participate in this week’s survey, you can do so by clicking here.
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