2028 Presidential Race Lines Drawn Among Conservatives at AmericaFest
Attendees at AmericaFest foresee the 2028 presidential race with JD Vance as the GOP frontrunner to succeed President Trump. On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is viewed as the leading nominee among attendees, surpassing California Governor Gavin Newsom. Vance is 41 years old while Shapiro is 52.
A matchup between Shapiro and Vance would represent a younger, two-generation contest and has the potential to shift Pennsylvania back to the Democrats. Despite Shapiro publicly downplaying his White House ambitions and telling HBO’s Bill Maher he is not an expert on Beltway politics, attendees still consider him a viable candidate.
Some attendees also mentioned Newsom or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as possible Democratic contenders, but Shapiro leads in predictions. There is a sentiment that the Democratic National Committee would benefit from a Shapiro nomination.
The discussion among attendees frames post-Trump conservatism as ideologically cohesive but still featuring competing voices. Trump is expected to wield significant influence over the GOP’s 2028 nomination dynamics. Regional perspectives across the country illustrate varied predictions and hopes for conservative leadership going into the 2028 race.
