VP J.D. Vance is just settling in to his role in the Trump admin. But he never could have expected this change.
Because J.D. Vance was completely blindsided by an unexpected job change.
J.D. Vance Takes On New Role As RNC Finance Chair
Vice President J.D. Vance has stepped into a significant new position as the finance chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), a move that political strategists and commentators view as a strong signal of his status as the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028. This role marks a historic first, as Vance becomes the initial sitting vice president to take on this key fundraising job, positioning him to steer the party’s financial efforts for the 2026 midterm elections and beyond while forging ties with major GOP donors nationwide.
In this capacity, Vance will rank among the country’s top Republican fundraisers, wielding considerable influence over the party’s direction. GOP strategists and pundits, in conversations with the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF), emphasized that this post provides Vance with a unique platform to connect with influential donors, solidifying his edge over other potential 2028 candidates who lack similar access.
“This is an acknowledgement of the effectiveness of J.D. Vance advancing the Trump message,” said Mark Warner, an Ohio-based GOP strategist. “You do not put your lead fundraising person out if that person is not a skilled communicator who energizes the base. So, this is an acknowledgement of his skillset and his ability to do many things. Along the way, it will give him relationships with key donors that will be invaluable should he run for president in 2028 … Being the top Republican fundraiser is a tremendous advantage for J.D. Vance.”
Though the 2028 primaries remain years away, the early stages of the “invisible primary” process are already underway, with prospective Democratic candidates beginning to explore their options. For Vance, however, maintaining his frontrunner status seems secure barring an unexpected misstep or a sharp decline in support for the Trump brand among GOP voters—scenarios Warner considers improbable.
Since assuming the vice presidency, Vance has won over the America First contingent with high-profile actions, including calling out European elites for silencing ordinary citizens, pressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an Oval Office meeting over his apparent lack of appreciation, and delivering compelling speeches on issues like the pro-life cause and the artificial intelligence competition. He has also taken on liberal cable news hosts and played a key role in securing Senate confirmation for Trump cabinet nominees, such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
🔥WATCH🔥: VP Vance SHUTS DOWN CBS reporter on illegal immigration.
BRENNAN: "It wasn't clear if he was radicalized when he got here…"
VANCE: "I don't really care, Margaret. I don't want that person in my country." pic.twitter.com/swgockPnj6
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 26, 2025
Other names floated as possible 2028 GOP contenders include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump Jr., though the latter has firmly ruled out a run to succeed his father. While President Donald Trump stopped short of naming Vance his heir in a February Fox News interview, Alex Stroman, a former South Carolina GOP Executive Director, argued that Vance’s new RNC role dispels any uncertainty about his standing.
“I think it is a smart decision for the party, for the president, and for the vice president to have him in this role,” Stroman told the DCNF. “For the party, this is a major commitment from the White House to ensure that the party is able to raise the money it needs to win elections. For the President, this further integrates him into the party apparatus and ensures that his agenda can be implemented over the next four years. And obviously for the vice president, building relationships with donors and party leaders across the country is vitally important for his political future. It’s a win, win, win for all involved.”
Stroman added, “I don’t really understand why some in the legacy media want to play this game that J.D. Vance is not the front runner for the Republican nomination, if not the presidency in 2028 … This is a smart decision: J.D. Vance is going to be the 2028 nominee, and this sets him and the Trump legacy up for success now and in the future.”
The 2026 midterms will serve as an early proving ground for Vance and the RNC, which Trump reshaped significantly before the 2024 cycle. With Democrats eager to reclaim the House and a less advantageous Senate map for Republicans compared to 2024, Vance’s fundraising prowess will face a critical test. Already more active than many recent vice presidents, he is poised to balance this new responsibility alongside his existing duties.
“Vance is in a fundraising role, not a strategic role. So, I think the advantage for him in this role is that if he raises the money, regardless of the outcome, he can come out looking okay,” said Jamie Miller, a Florida-based GOP strategist. “Then you get to the real advantage, which is that they’re giving him the opportunity for the next 18 months to meet every major Republican donor in the country. That’s the real advantage for him in 2028 … I don’t know that his appointment removes all doubt, but I think from the second he was chosen as the VP nominee, the nomination in 2028 was his to lose.”
CNN conservative pundit Scott Jennings echoed this sentiment, noting that the RNC post “recognizes the massive influence J.D. has in the Republican Party as the heir apparent” and gives him a substantial edge in any future primary contest.
Vance’s background further sets him apart. His years in Silicon Valley’s tech scene before his 2022 Ohio Senate victory have given him distinctive connections, enhancing his appeal. “Vance is going to have access to all the money guys in the Republican Party, all the donors and, truthfully, a pretty big chunk of the fundraisers. It’s an advantage,” said GOP strategist Mike McKenna.
“The tricky thing about money in politics these days is that there’s so much of it, and there’s so much of it outside of the party apparatus that it’s not the advantage it would have been 20 or 40 years ago. But it’s still a pretty big advantage … It’s hard to beat a sitting vice president in a primary. It just is.” With his new role, Vance appears well-positioned to shape both the GOP’s immediate future and his own path to 2028.
The Trump plan for the great American comeback is simple: We want companies to invest right here in America—in our own workers and factories.
That means cutting taxes, slashing regulations, and unleashing energy so we can become the industrial powerhouse of the next century. pic.twitter.com/DCmKZNVkEE
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 18, 2025
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
