Jon Ossoff Climbs 2028 Democratic Primary Field

Some potential 2028 presidential contenders, such as Gavin Newsom, are already all but openly campaigning for the White House. Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff has taken a very different approach, staying almost entirely out of the national spotlight. Still, despite insisting that he has no plans to run for president, Ossoff has quietly risen to second place in betting markets for the 2028 Democratic nomination.

Ossoff was first elected to the Senate from Georgia in 2020 and faces reelection in 2026. He is overwhelmingly favored to win his Senate contest, currently leading his opponent Rep. Mike Collins by 7.6 points in RCP Average, and Polymarket’s betting markets give him an 87% chance of winning.

Clips and short videos from his reelection rallies in Georgia have begun going viral, with many of the most popular comments echoing two sentiments: He sounds like former President Barack Obama, and he looks presidential.

Despite growing speculation about his national ambitions among political commentators and comment sections alike, Ossoff says he is not running for president. Speaking with CNN’s Manu Raju in late June, he said, “I am not running for president in 2028. I have no interest in running for president in 2028.”

Unlike Newsom and JD Vance, who remain front-runners in betting markets for the 2028 presidential election, Ossoff is also largely absent from the national podcast circuit. Outside of clips taken from rallies and cable news appearances, he is not pursuing the spotlight like other potential candidates.

Even without the boost in name recognition that can come from appearing on prominent podcasts, Ossoff’s presidential polling and betting-market numbers have surged. In the latest Emerson poll of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, conducted July 19-20, Ossoff received 13%, tying Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and trailing former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 19% and Newsom at 17%.

In betting markets, since January 1, he has climbed from a 3.6% chance of becoming the Democratic nominee to 14%.He is the fourth-most-likely candidate to win the 2028 presidential election, with a 9% chance, trailing Vance at 20% and Newsom and Marco Rubio at 12% each.

None of this means Ossoff is on a clear path to the nomination, much less the presidency. Candidates have not even begun formally announcing their campaigns, and the party conventions are still two years away. Ossoff may even be earnest in saying he is not interested in running. For now, Newsom continues to lead him in betting markets for the Democratic nomination, with a 20% chance, and Ocasio-Cortez matches him at 14%.

No comparable candidate has emerged on the Republican side. Vance and Rubio, the two front-runners for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, are the only candidates with significant support in betting markets, at 43% and 27%, respectively. All other potential candidates, including Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz, remain below 3%. Polls are similarly skeptical of the rest of the field, with Vance (39.6%) and Rubio (23.4%) leading, while Donald Trump Jr. (9.8%) is polling ahead of DeSantis (6.4%), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (4.0%) and the other potential candidates, in the RCP Average.