With the former president and now President-elect Donald Trump Vice President JD Vance, who cannot run for the White House again in 2028, appears to be the heir to the America First movement and the Republican Party’s strong MAGA base.

It was a point emphasized by Donald Trump Jr., the former and future president’s eldest son and the vice president-elect’s strong ally.

“Four more years with Trump, and then eight more JD Vance!” Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio two weeks ago.

Vance, who was elected to the Senate in Ohio just two years ago, is likely to be the clear frontrunner in the race for the next Republican presidential nomination.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY CANDIDATE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (L) and former President Donald Trump speak during an election night celebration at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The vice president is going to be in the catbird seat. There’s no question about that,” longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News Digital.

Carney is a veteran of many things Republican presidential campaigns Over the past four decades, he said, Vance has been “the man to beat.”

David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance was ahead because of “the size and scope of last week’s victory and the passing of the torch from Donald Trump.”

“There will be no shortage of people looking at this. But most people looking at it see the relative strength of Trump’s victory and the movement,” Kochel said.

In his victory speech late on Election Night, Trump stated that he had been subjected to some criticism for naming Vance as his running mate in July, and said, “I was a little angry at first.” But he stressed that “it turned out to be a good choice.”

Former President Donald Trump (R) greets his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, during an election night celebration in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Additionally, with Trump’s support for a party firmly under the president-elect’s control, the 40-year-old Vance will be extremely difficult to beat.

However, Kochel said, “No one is going to be completely J.D. Vance. There will be a competition. There always is.”

Carney added: “There may be other people challenging him (Vance) … there are a lot of people who want to be president, but it’s going to be a very tough road outside of the Trump lane.”

He added that a potentially difficult four years for the Trump/Vance administration would present “opportunities” for potential Vance rivals.

But he praised the vice president-elect’s messaging and accessibility on the campaign trail, saying “whether it’s a good four years or a tough four years, he’s the man to beat.”

Carney also suggested that the Republican Party has a “deep bench.”

Here’s a look at some of the names on the bench who may have national aspirations and ambitions in 2028 or beyond.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis waves from the stage during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

Conservative Governor of Florida He was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but a failed presidential primary in 2024 and a frustrating battle with Trump have sunk Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reputation.

However, the 46-year-old governor, who has two years left in his term governing Florida, has proven his fundraising prowess over the past few years and has a legion of supporters across the country.

DeSantis has also managed to repair relations with Trump to some extent, helping raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election and winning a prime-time speech at the convention in July.

While DeSantis has his sights set on a White House race in which Sen. Marco Rubio will likely leave the Senate and become America’s top diplomat, there’s a chance DeSantis could run in a special Senate election in 2026.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp

Republican Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia is interviewed by Fox News Digital in Chalmette, Louisiana, on June 3, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The popular conservative governor is one of the few people in the GOP who can claim to have faced Trump’s wrath and not only survived but thrived.

Term-limited Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has two years left in office and is enjoying strong positive votes in a critical battleground state.

we are waiting to see 61 year old Kemp He’s on the nationwide campaign trail for fellow Republicans in 2026 as his national profile expands.

Governor Glenn Youngkin

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

With his 2021 gubernatorial victory — the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years — Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became the GOP’s rising star.

In Virginia, governors’ terms are limited to one consecutive four-year term, meaning Youngkin had one year in office.

The 57-year-old governor, who comes from the business wing of the Republican Party but has managed to succeed in a MAGA-dominated party, likely has national ambitions.

The first step would be to serve in a cabinet post in the second Trump administration after his term as governor ends.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

Republican Senator Ted Cruz will be interviewed by Fox News Digital in Washington DC on May 9, 2024 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Senator Ted Cruz came in second Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle.

After narrowly avoiding re-election in 2018, the controversial conservative firebrand has dropped out of challenging Trump again in 2024 as he runs for another widely considered difficult re-election.

But the 53-year-old senator won his third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points.

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is interviewed by Fox News Digital at the Republican National Convention hall on July 20, 2024 in Milwaukee. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The Army veteran, who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, was on a broader list of Trump’s potential running mates.

Sen. Tom Cotton, now 47, seriously considered a 2024 White House run before deciding against it in late 2022, putting his young family ahead of political ambitions. However, he did not rule out running for president in the future.

Cotton is currently bidding for the GOP conference chairmanship, the third leadership position in the Republican majority in the Senate.

Senator Josh Hawley

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 1, 2024. (Tom Williams)

Sen. Josh Hawley, 44, is another rising conservative star in the Senate along with Cotton.

Hawley is also a strong advocate of Trump’s America First agenda and is thought to have national ambitions.

Former Ambassador Nikki Haley

Former Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. (PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images)

The two-term former South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term, was the first GOP challenger to run against the former president in the 2024 nominating race.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is left behind The rest of the field became Trump’s final challenger before ending his bid for the White House in March.

While Haley, 52, supported Trump in the general election, her previous clashes with the current president during the primaries also left their mark. Although he appeals to GOP loyalists at the convention, his political future is uncertain in a party dominated by Trump.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes the stage during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (Getty Images)

The first-term conservative governor of Arkansas is a well-known name in the MAGA world, thanks to his tenure as the longest-serving White House press secretary during Trump’s first administration.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas governor and former two-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, also attracted national attention with the GOP’s response to President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address.

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy gives the thumbs up from the stage during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, anti-woke crusader and first-time candidate was one of the biggest surprises in the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, who said during his campaign that he and Trump were the only two “America First candidates” among a broad field of candidates, eventually dropped out of the race and became a key supporter and surrogate for the United States. former president.

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Others you should keep your eyes open for include: rubiowho ran for the 2016 nomination and will likely be nominated to serve as Secretary of State in the second Trump administration; Senator Tim Scott South Carolina, which unsuccessfully sought the 2024 nomination but remains popular; And Senator Rick Scott Florida and former Secretary of State Mike PompeoLast cycle, both considered but decided against presidential runs.

Also not to be ignored are the top Trump supporters Representative Byron Donalds Florida and Representative Elise Stefanik New York and South Dakota, whom Trump appointed to serve as US ambassador to the UN on Monday Governor Kristi Noem, Looks like it’s going to the Department of Homeland Security

then there is Donald Trump Jr.., the president-elect’s eldest son and MAGA warrior. But the younger Trump is very close to Vance, which will likely prevent him from making any bid for the White House next term.

Get the latest updates on 2024 campaign history, exclusive interviews and more from our Fox News Digital election hub.