Polling analyst Nate Silver identified Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) as a leading potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination during a political conference on Saturday, November 7. Speaking at the Crooked Con event, Silver described the 39-year-old senator as a "slam dunk number one pick" following Ossoff’s re-election to the Senate.
The analysis follows the November 3 midterm elections, where Ossoff secured a second term by defeating Republican challenger Mike Collins. Ossoff, who was first elected in 2021, has established a record as a moderate legislator and a critic of the Trump administration. He gained attention this summer for his questioning of a judicial nominee regarding the 2020 election results.
Silver cited Ossoff’s performance in the Georgia midterm, where the senator won with 59 percent of the vote compared to 41 percent for Collins. Silver characterized Ossoff as a "compromise candidate" capable of appealing to both the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic Party. Online prediction markets, including Kalshi and Polymarket, currently list Ossoff as the front-runner for the 2028 nomination, ahead of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
The scale of this development is currently measured by market confidence and election data. On November 3, Ossoff won by an 18-point margin, an increase from his runoff victory in 2021. For individual donors, the emergence of a favorite often signals where primary contributions may flow. However, Ossoff stated in October that he has "zero interest" in seeking the presidency and is focused on his Senate duties.
A potential Ossoff candidacy would also test the Democratic Party's internal consensus on foreign policy. As a senator who identifies as a "committed supporter of the State of Israel" while criticizing its current leadership, Ossoff’s positions have been noted by both pro-Israel groups and critics of the conflict in Gaza. What happens next depends on the 2028 primary schedule; while speculation continues, official declarations for the next presidential race typically do not occur until late 2026 or early 2027.