Edited by Karina Koppikar, Emma Hartman, Amelia Cantwell, and Owen Andrews
“You refuse to answer a basic question about who won a presidential election, but you ask to lead America’s intelligence program. Isn’t it humiliating to be unable to answer this question, to have to indulge in the President’s delusions?”
This is a quote from Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff during the Senate confirmation hearing of Trump’s DNI nominee, Jay Clayton, and it is one of the many instances of Ossoff fearlessly calling out the corruption of the current administration. Ossoff is currently rallying to defend his seat in Georgia against GOP candidate Mike Collins. Through many viral speeches, the Georgia senator is steadily building a strong narrative of anti-corruption that is resonating with many Americans. If Ossoff is able to secure Georgia, his strong ability to articulate the frustrations that many have with the current administration—whilst preserving civility—is why the Democrats should be pushing him to run in 2028.
First, it’s important to understand Ossoff’s unique background. He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and studied as an undergraduate at Georgetown University whilst working for Hank Johnson, U.S. House representative for Georgia’s 4th district. Before entering politics—and after receiving his master’s at the London School of Economics—Ossoff ran a London-based documentary film company that specialized in exposing political corruption. His background in filmmaking very well explains why he heavily emphasizes calling out corruption in his speeches and debates. In 2017, he turned towards filling a U.S. House seat in his home state of Georgia but lost to Republican Karen Handel. Undeterred, Ossoff surprised many and successfully landed a seat in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2021. As of now, Ossoff is Georgia’s first Jewish senator, and the youngest Democratic senator elected to the body since Joe Biden.
So what has Ossoff been up to since?
According to a recent study by govtrack.us, during his time in office, 36 percent of Ossoff’s sponsored bills have been regarding Armed Forces and National Security, 19 percent to Crime and Law Enforcement, and 12 percent to Government Operations and Politics. His enacted legislation is focused on government or civil rights investigations, economic development, and Georgia defense projects. Two of his major bills passed are the Federal Prison Oversight Act and the Prison Camera Reform Act, which greatly help prevent abuse of incarcerated individuals—Ossoff is able to turn his commitments to civil rights and anti-corruption into law, and not just speeches. Additionally, Ossoff recently introduced a bill that would prevent senators and their spouses from buying and selling certain stocks, hammering home his anti-corruption narrative. It is important to note that a large amount of Ossoff's political activity is considered bipartisan, which is why many tend to place him towards the middle of the political spectrum. This coincides with Ossoff’s appeal to centrists. Despite being considered a centrist, Ossoff does not shy away from attacking Trump and his administration which supports the idea that it is not just the far left that have issues with Trump, but the middle as well.
One of the most politically vulnerable aspects of Ossoff's record is his shifting stance on Israel, a weakness his GOP challenger Mike Collins has aggressively targeted. Israel has become an increasingly tumultuous topic in the political realm—specifically regarding whether the U.S. should be financing Israel and its war in Gaza—and Ossoff has not always taken a clear stance on the issue. The primary example of this is in 2024 when Bernie Sanders pushed multiple Senate votes to block weapons sales to Israel. Ossoff split the majority of his votes on the first round of resolutions, letting some weapons in but not others. Months later, Sanders brought similar resolutions to the table in which Ossoff shifted towards voting to block weapon sales completely. In regards to his votes, Ossoff said:
“No foreign government, no matter how close an ally, gets everything it wants, whenever it wants, to use however it wants.”
Israel will likely continue to become an increasingly divisive topic, and Ossoff has to prove to voters that his changing stance reflects a changing environment, and is not just simply political calculation.
In a recent New York Times’ poll, Ossoff is already listed as the 5th most supported democratic candidate to run in 2028 behind Harris, Newsom, Buttigieg, and Ocasio-Cortez. While this seems unimpressive at first glance, it is important to note that Ossoff has been considered a potential 2028 candidate for a fraction of the time as the others. But what has caused Ossoff to shoot up in polls so rapidly? His success, in a large part, can be attributed towards his captivating and energetic speeches and his ability to play the part as the “good guy”. For the past couple of months Ossoff has been giving campaign speeches in Georgia that have gone viral across social media for being exciting and sharp. During Ossoff’s speech at his Atlanta rally on August 16th, he said:
“Our task is not just to contain his wickedness, but to cure the rot that gave rise to it—that this broken moment is an opening not for restoration, but for reformation.”
Similar to how Tim Walz pushed the “weird” narrative on the GOP during the 2024 election, Ossoff is proficient in painting a dark picture of Trump and his allies through his speeches. His ability to articulate his views on the corruption of the current administration would do wonders in a presidential election, as he is capable of convincing centrists and moderate Republicans who are angry with Trump to vote blue. It’s not just Democrats who want a change, but voters all across the political spectrum. Given that Republicans will likely run a candidate in 2028 who comes from the current administration, Ossoff is just as effective as the other Democratic front-runners.
Many Democrats look to Gavin Newsom as a potential candidate largely because he has been the primary attack dog against the President, using Trump’s brash methods against him online. And while Newsom’s November redistricting in California was very popular and increased his name recognition, he has not done much else to persuade voters why he should be the Democratic candidate. Newsom has also been known to slam Trump on X, often using all caps and loud language. While this approach garners plenty of additional support, it is only adding to the increasingly divided and hostile political culture in America. Ossoff, on the other hand, barely responds when the President calls him names, usually brushing it off. He succeeds with his ability to methodically criticize Trump all while keeping a controlled and civil manner, separating himself from the current political culture. He crafts his own speeches to verbalize what the people are feeling currently and doesn’t need to stoop to Trump’s level to get his points across effectively, which is what the Democrats need in a leader. That being said, most Americans are not regularly tuning into his speeches. Ossoff has been steadily rising in popularity but he is still rather unknown compared to the likes of Newsom or Harris. It’s important that Ossoff’s messages reach a broader audience in order to impact America’s political culture. But until then, Ossoff must continue to focus on his home state of Georgia.
In the 2020 election, Ossoff joined President Joe Biden and Sen. Raphael Warnock in producing a historic blue swing of Georgia. It was the first time since 1992 that Georgia had voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, and Ossoff and Warnock were the first Democratic senators to be elected since the early 2000s. During his time as Senator, we have seen that one of the strongest and most telling characteristics of Jon Ossoff is the impact he has had on the people of Georgia. Following the Atlanta rally, NPR interviewed many Georgians, including Brunswick’s Mayor Pro Tem Lance Sabbe. He had this to say:
“He doesn't flip open his notes," Sabbe says. "It's like he honestly cares and knows.” He also added that Ossoff is often the first person Sabbe calls after a natural disaster.
There are certainly obstacles for Ossoff if he were to be the leader of the Democratic Party. The aforementioned Israel policy divide could very well cause issues down the line, but as of now his future largely relies on him winning his senate race in Georgia this November. Though Ossoff has yet to show any interest in running in 2028—unsurprising, given his focus on the senate race—the Democrats should be looking to elevate his profile to the national level. Americans are looking for a shift away from the Trump-Biden era politics, and what better change than a young politician who is trying to usher in a new era of political respect.