With Donald Trump constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in four years, speculation is already rising regarding who will run to succeed him in 2028.
Vice President-elect JD Vance is currently the frontrunner to become the 48th president, with a 25% chance (+300 odds), according to SportsBettingDime.
As vice president, Vance will be next in line to assume office should Trump be unable or unwilling to continue serving.
Since 1933, only five vice presidents have been successfully elected to serve as commander-in-chief, according to the New York Post.
Vance, 40, leads the odds list, followed by former first lady Michelle Obama (+500), California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom (+550), Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (+800), former Democratic congresswoman-turned-Republican activist Tulsi Gabbard (+1000), and right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson (+1400), the outlet reported.
Vice President Kamala Harris (+2500) is tied with Oprah Winfrey and narrowly surpassed Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro (+3300), whom Harris chose not to select as her running mate, despite Democratic operatives believing he could have helped secure the Keystone State for Democrats.
Other notable figures on the list include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (+1400), former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (+2500), Donald Trump Jr. (+4000), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (+5000), and pro wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (+6600).
Tech guru Elon Musk also appears on the list (+5000), despite being constitutionally ineligible for the presidency due to his South African birthplace. He shares the same odds with Ivanka Trump (+5000), Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (+5000), Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (+5000), and former Rep. Liz Cheney (+6600).
Many of the individuals listed have previously been subjects of presidential speculation.
Michelle Obama, in particular, has long been a favorite among the left and remains one of the most popular Democrats at the national level.
Allies of the former first lady assert that she dislikes the campaign trail, despite her willingness to support Democratic candidates since her husband Barack left office in 2017.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s name has been mentioned as a possible alternative to President Biden, but the California governor has remained loyal to the 81-year-old, even amidst concerns about Biden’s mental acuity. Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2026.
Similarly, Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and ineligible for reelection in 2026. However, he took a different route from Newsom by challenging his party’s de facto leader for the presidency, albeit unsuccessfully.
During her concession speech on Wednesday, Harris emphasized that she was not done fighting. Should she decide to run for president again, she would likely encounter significant Democratic primary competition, a challenge she sidestepped in the 2024 cycle.
“The 2028 race could be the first presidential contest since 1976 without an Obama, Bush, Clinton or Trump on either ticket,” The Post added.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Vance thanked his family and supporters after Republicans had a fantastic election night.
“THANK YOU! To my beautiful wife for making it possible to do this. To President Donald J. Trump, for giving me such an opportunity to serve our country at this level. And to the American people, for their trust. I will never stop fighting for ALL of you,” Vance tweeted.
Trump, who has been the target of two assassination attempts since July, shared his appreciation for a second presidency during his 25-minute speech from West Palm Beach, Florida.
“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again. And in addition to having won the battleground states of North Carolina — I love these places — Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, we are now winning in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Alaska, which would result in us carrying at least 315 electoral votes. But it’s much easier doing what the networks did, or whoever called it, because there was no other path. There was no other path to victory. We also have won the popular vote. That was great. That was great,” Trump said as the crowd cheered and chanted “USA! USA!”
“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness,” Trump said
