White House race underway: With 2026 looming, both parties are already playing for 2028

By Fox News · Fox News

From a major endorsement of Vice President JD Vance to speculation-sparking appearances by former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a major Democratic Party summit, it appears to be game on in the next White House race. Even though the main campaign focus this year will be on the 2026 midterm elections and the battle for Congress, early moves are underway in the 2028 race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump . The starting gun for the next presidential showdown won't be fired until after November's midterms. But that's not preventing the large field of potential White House contenders from making headlines. Vance, considered by many to be Trump's heir apparent to eventually take over the MAGA mantle, was endorsed last month by Erika Kirk at an annual summit hosted by Turning Point USA, the increasingly influential and politically powerful conservative group. VANCE AMPLIFIES HIS 2026 MESSAGE WHILE LANDING KEY 2028 BACKING Kirk, who took over the reins of Turning Point after her husband and conservative champion Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September, opened the conference by supporting Vance. "We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible," in 2028, she said. "Forty-eight" refers to the number of the next president. The backing of the vice president by Turning Point , which is particularly influential among younger conservatives and whose political arm has built up a powerful grassroot outreach operation, could give Vance a major boost should he decide to run for president in the 2028 election. SUCCEEDING TRUMP IN 2028: SIX REPUBLICANS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON A longtime Trump adviser told Fox News Digital that "it wasn’t a surprise to see her endorse, given that while he was still alive, Charlie couldn’t have been more explicit about supporting Vance in 2028." And the adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, emphasized that Erika Kirk's backing "reaffi…