JD Vance is focused on next month’s election. But the vice-presidential debate went a long way toward building his brand for a potential 2028 run.

While the Walz-Vance debate, which was noted for being a relatively civil affair, was viewed by almost 25 percent less people than its predecessor, the Harris-Pence debate was also the second-most watched VP debate since Nielsen began keeping records.

Carlos Lozada is an Opinion columnist and a co-host of the weekly “Matter of Opinion” podcast for The Times, based in Washington, D.C. He is the author, most recently, of “ The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians.” @ CarlosNYT