Potential 2028 GOP contenders already making moves

Less than six months into President Trump's second term, several possible GOP contenders for president in 2028 already are racing to build their national profiles, travel to early primary states and establish relationships with major donors.Why it matters: Trump, who's dominated GOP politics for a decade, can't legally run again. Now several ambitious Republicans are signaling they see an opening to offer themselves to primary voters as the future of the party."Everyone knows Trump has one term left, and I would say its a wide-open opportunity," said Henry Barbour, a former Republican National Committee member. "These things start earlier and earlier."State of play: Trump has mentioned Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible successors, and they're widely seen as the early favorites for the 2028 nomination.Vance has been using his perch as finance chair of the Republican National Committee to make inroads with donors, and has been crisscrossing the country raising money for the party.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been raising her profile with a series of photo ops with ICE agents during immigration raids, is also viewed as a possible 2028 contender.And though it's too early for anyone to say they're running, several GOP officeholders are positioning themselves to do just that:Virginia Gov. Glenn YoungkinYoungkin will visit Iowa — the traditional home of an early primary caucus — later this month for an event with state GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann.Next month, Youngkin will headline the annual fundraising dinner for the GOP in South Carolina, another key primary state.During the past year, he's appeared at state party functions in California, New York and North Carolina.Kentucky Sen. Rand PaulPaul is staking out turf as a deficit hawk and forcefully opposed Trump's big tax and spending bill, which is projected to add more than $3 trillion to the nation's deficits. He was one of just three GOP senators to vote against the bill.The senator, who waged an unsuccessful bid for president in 2016, recently went to Iowa and South Carolina and plans to go to New Hampshire, another early primary state, this fall.Texas Sen. Ted CruzCruz was an outspoken supporter of Trump's airstrikes on Iran — including during an argument with Tucker Carlson — a move that endeared him to the party's hawkish donors.Cruz was the runner-up in the 2016 GOP primary, has a top-ranked podcast and a syndicated radio show. He's planning to host a donor retreat next year and has built a formidable small-dollar fundraising network.Georgia Gov. Brian KempIn June, Kemp addressed the Ronald Reagan Institute, a frequent stop for presidential hopefuls.He has used his perch as Republican Governors Association chair to introduce himself to major donors in key areas such as California, Texas and Palm Beach, Fla. Kemp has a leadership PAC that last year drew a $1 million contribution from Republican mega-donor Miriam Adelson.Kemp has had a sometimes-tense relationship with Trump, stemming from Kemp's refusal to back Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential vote in Georgia was "stolen" from Trump. But their relationship has appeared amiable more recently. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee SandersSanders is headed to Iowa this month to appear at an event hosted by the Family Leader, a group overseen by prominent evangelical activist Bob Vander Plaats.Sanders, who was White House press secretary during Trump's first term, recently went to Tennessee and Texas to raise money and soon will visit Chicago.The governor is trying to establish herself as a prominent voice on AI, and pushed to strip Trump's domestic policy bill of language banning state-level regulation of it.South Carolina Sen. Tim ScottScott, who ran unsuccessfully in 2024, is using his National Republican Senatorial Committee chairmanship to travel and make inroads with donors.Zoom out: Republicans say would-be 2028 hopefuls can't afford to wait.Preparations for the 2028 primary will accelerate next year, when aspirants hit the trail for midterm candidates with an eye toward establishing alliances and earning chits."Building infrastructure and making friends — among activists, operatives and donors — is tedious work," said Rob Godfrey, a South Carolina-based GOP strategist. "It's never too early to start."Between the lines: Jumping into the 2028 conversation isn't just about seeking the White House. It's also about raising a prospect's profile and injecting them into the mix for VP consideration or a possible Cabinet post in 2029.Yes, but: Quietly hitting the trail this early has its risks.Most Republican voters want party figures focused on Trump's agenda rather than their own ambitions, some GOP strategists warn.Trump is likely to play an outsized role in determining the party's next nominee, and could push back if he perceives would-be candidates putting themselves ahead of his priorities."Tread carefully," said Dave Carney, a longtime Republican strategist in New Hampshire.

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