Jon Ossoff has emerged as the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, according to bookmakers, following a decisive victory in the US midterm elections.
With President Donald Trump suffering a historic defeat, Democrats now hold momentum heading into the next presidential race. Ossoff, who won re-election to the Senate from Georgia by a margin of almost 20 percentage points, is being compared to Barack Obama, who entered the White House after a similar Republican setback in the 2006 midterms.
Who is Jon Ossoff?
Ossoff rose to national prominence during the 2020 Senate election in Georgia, where he faced incumbent Republican David Perdue, now Trump's ambassador to China. Born in 1987 to an Australian mother and American father, he worked as a political staffer and documentary producer before running for Congress.
Perdue narrowly won the initial vote but failed to secure the required 50%, triggering a runoff two months later. Ossoff won that second round by 50.6% to 49.4%, becoming the youngest sitting US senator at age 33. He and Raphael Warnock, elected the same day in January 2021, were the first Democratic senators from Georgia since 2000.
Since taking office, Ossoff has built a reputation as a skilled orator and remains popular with Georgians, as evidenced by his widened margin in this week's election.
Chances for 2028
Bookmakers William Hill and Star Sports list Ossoff as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, ahead of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leading progressive voice, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. The same bookies give him equal or better odds than Republican frontrunner JD Vance, the current vice president.
Ossoff has previously ruled out a presidential bid, stating in a debate last month: 'I have zero interest in running for president. I'm not running for president. I'm running for re-election to the Senate.' Observers note that Barack Obama made similar promises before running, leaving the door open for a possible change of heart.
