Oddsmakers call JD Vance and Gavin Newsom the 2028 frontrunners — but Aaron Rodgers and The Rock make the list

On By Littum

The 2024 election may have just finished, but oddsmakers are already predicting who will win in 2028 – and at least one of them seems like a Hail Mary.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and actor-slash-wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are among the favorites to win the presidency in 2028, according to Bookies.com.

Donald Trump is returning to the White House after a decisive victory over Kamala Harris this week, but will not be able to run again in four years as he enters his second and final term.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Vice President-elect JD Vance has the top slot at +450 odds. Numbers closer to zero signal the betting favorite, while higher numbers indicate underdogs – with a bigger payout on the line.

Senator JD Vance is the top choice for president in 2028, according to oddsmakers
Senator JD Vance is the top choice for president in 2028, according to oddsmakers (AP)

He is followed by a list of usual suspects: California Governor Gavin Newsom, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former first lady Michelle Obama, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris.

DeSantis ran for president this election cycle, but dropped out in January and endorsed Trump. Meanwhile, rumors of Newsom launching a bid for the presidency if Biden did not run plagued the 2024 campaign cycle, despite his repeated attempts to put an end to that speculation. He never ran, but it seems people are already betting he’ll throw his hat in the ring for 2028.

Oddsmakers placed Newsom behind Vance as the winner of the 2028 presidential election
Oddsmakers placed Newsom behind Vance as the winner of the 2028 presidential election (AP)

Michelle Obama is no stranger to the White House. The former first lady and best-selling author has campaigned for Harris and dazzled crowds with her speeches throughout the 2024 cycle.

But further down the list are some figures outside the political arena. Rodgers was given +3000 odds to be elected president in 2028. The quarterback, who has labeled himself “super patriotic,” previously weighed in on politics and told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in May that he was “definitely” considering being independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr’s running mate when approached about the offer.

Dwayne Johnson has been tipped as an outsider for the presidency in 2028.
Dwayne Johnson has been tipped as an outsider for the presidency in 2028. (Getty Images)

Johnson, who has previously discussed his political ambitions, was given +3500 odds. The actor endorsed Biden for president in 2020, but opted out of endorsing a candidate in 2024.

In 2017, he told Black that he was “100 percent considering” a presidential run. Years later, in 2023, he revealed that he had been asked by several political parties to stand, but later cleared to CBS that a presidential election was “off the table”.

Billionaire Mark Cuban, who campaigned for Harris and is an outspoken Trump critic, was also given +3500 odds for the 2028 presidency. But last month he said he wants to distance himself from a political career: “I have no interest in being a politician of any kind. I have no interest in serving in the cabinet of Kamala Harris or anybody.”