(FOX40.COM) — A new poll shows good news for Marco Rubio — but bad news for fellow 2028 presidential hopefuls JD Vance and Gavin Newsom.

The Emerson College Polling survey, released Thursday morning, shows a sharp decline in support for the vice president. Polls from February 2026 and August 2025 showed Vance with a commanding lead, with backing from a majority (52%) of Republican primary voters.

That decrease mirrors an increase of enthusiasm for the secretary of state as Rubio is now virtually tied with Vance at 35%. That’s up from 20% in February and just 9% last August. 5% of voters support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, respectively, while 15% are undecided.

“Rubio has found support among Republican primary voters over 50, who support him by a six-point margin over Vance, 41% to 35%, while Vance leads the younger Republican vote under 50, 37% to 26%,” Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said.

The Democratic primary field is similarly muddled. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg narrowly leads at 18%, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s support has dropped to 16% from 25% last August.

Other contenders include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (11%), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (10%), former Vice President Kamala Harris (10%) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (9%). 19% of likely Democratic primary voters are undecided.

Since last summer, support for Newsom has waned while support for Ocasio-Cortez, Shapiro and Beshear has surged. Backing for Buttigieg and Harris is largely flat over that time.

The Emerson poll shows good news for Democrats heading into the midterm elections, with President Donald Trump’s approval rating falling another point to 39%, while 55% of voters disapprove.

On the generic Congressional ballot, Democrats continue to lead by nearly double digits, leading Republicans 50% to 41% with about five months to go before the November elections.

However, a majority of voters believe both parties are on the wrong track.

The economy continues to be voters’ top concern, with 41% calling it the most important issue facing the U.S., followed by threats to democracy (19%), immigration (11%) and healthcare (9%).

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