At Dallas convention, Republicans size up a post-Trump field

DALLAS — As Vice President JD Vance took the stage at the Republican midterm convention, a supporter in the crowd shouted "JD 48!" Others quickly picked up the chant. Vance smiled, let it run a moment, then waved it off.

"We gotta take care of business this November and then we'll worry about what comes next," he said.

Vance was at the center of the proceedings as he and President Donald Trump pressed Republicans to turn out for fall elections — a vote that will mark the approaching end of Trump's tenure and the opening of the contest to replace him.

Yet in the corridors of the American Airlines Center, the vice president's standing as Trump's heir was far from settled. In conversations with nearly two dozen attendees, no consensus emerged on a preferred 2028 candidate. Vance drew plenty of mentions, but so did Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Most said they were not ready to commit.

The uncertainty mirrors the wide-open field on the Democratic side and reflects how thoroughly the party has come to revolve around Trump over the past decade, complicating the question of what comes after him. No candidate has formally entered the race.

Rochelle Brooks, a Dallas IT manager, was reluctant to name a favorite so early but offered one when pressed: DeSantis. "What he's done in Florida is a roadmap for what we need to do in America," she said.

Peggy Stanton, a retiree from Houston, needed no prompting to name Rubio. Though she did not back his 2016 presidential bid, she said she always believed he would reach the White House. "He's so knowledgeable. He totally understands international threats, the threats of communism," she said.

Norma Alruosan, a payroll tax analyst from the Dallas suburb of Coppell, is torn between Vance and Rubio. She said she relates to Vance because of their similar backgrounds, but admires Rubio's willingness to speak his mind. Her decision, she said, may hinge on whom Trump endorses.

Stephanie Donofry, a mother from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, rolled her eyes at a choice still two years away but also found herself split between the two. "They are both proven. They are both capable," she said. Donofry was among roughly 450 delegates from the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, along with Ohio, whom Vance addressed privately at a breakfast. Attendees said he was greeted with chants of "48, 48, 48" and "JD, JD, JD."

Vance, widely expected to seek the 2028 nomination, gave no hint of his plans. Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said he did not need to, calling the vice president "savvy" and noting he has visited Wisconsin three times this year, with another trip expected before Nov. 3.

Bill Schneider of Frisco, Texas, said he would like to see a Vance-Rubio ticket in 2028, with Vance at the top, arguing the vice president would continue Trump's policies. His wife, Tani, who immigrated from Brazil nearly 30 years ago, favors Cruz because he is Cuban American, saying that gives him insight into how left-wing governments have reshaped Latin America.

Other names surfaced as well. Kimberly Moyers, 42, of Veterans for America First, named Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger. Dina and Kevin Myers of Grand Prairie said they favor Texas Rep. Brandon Gill, who at 32 would be younger than the constitutional minimum of 35 in 2028. "I want it cleaned out. On both sides. I want fresh. And I like young," Dina Myers said.

Anthony Johnston, 33, an accountant from Delaware who drove 29 hours with his father to attend, sees Vance as the natural successor. "I think Vance is being groomed for that position. I mean, that's why he picked him for VP," he said. His father, Bruce Johnston, 62, has not decided but welcomed the choices. "We've got a deep bench," he said.