Who is Jon Ossoff, the Georgia senator people think is ‘president material’? | indy100

Senator Jon Ossoff kicks off reelection campaign

Fox - 5 Atlanta / VideoElephant

The next US presidential election in 2029 may feel like ages away, but people are already speculating as to who might run for the Democrats and take on the Republican nominee (whether that be current president Donald Trump pursuing an unconstitutional third term, given his constant flirting with the idea, or someone else).

Former vice president Kamala Harris and California governor Gavin Newsom have both been floated as potential names, but following a campaign rally in Atlanta on Saturday, people think a politician by the name of Jon Ossoff is “president material”.

So who is he? Allow us to fill you in…

The 2017 election for Georgia’s sixth congressional district

Ossoff, a former congressional staffer and investigative journalist, first pursued national office in 2017, when he stood in a special election for a seat in the House of Representatives.

He secured 48 per cent in the election, coming first by almost 30 points in what the White House said was a “big loss” for the Republican Party, but because he was short of the more than 50 per cent required to win outright, it went to a run-off.

That was against Republican candidate Karen Handel, who ended up winning the election, but Ossoff did end up breaking fundraising records for a house race, raking in some £25 million for his campaign.

The 2020-21 Senate election

Three years later, he pivoted to running for election for a Senate seat for Georgia, and ended up defeating the incumbent Republican senator David Perdue in a run-off in January 2021.

At the time, it was described as “another sign of a major political shift in the longtime Republican stronghold”, following Biden’s victory in the state in the November presidential election just two months prior.

The Atlanta rally

This brings us to Saturday’s rally for his re-election to the Senate, which has since gained a fair amount of attention on X/Twitter.

During his speech, Ossoff said: “This is the cruellest and most arrogant group of people who have ever ascended to high office in the United States, and their cruelty and their arrogance are matched only by their incompetence.

“We were told MAGA was for working class Americans, you remember that? But this is a government of, by and for the ultra-rich. It is the wealthiest cabinet ever.

“This is Epstein class ruling our country. They are the elites they pretend to hate.”

And it’s fair to say people were impressed.

Comedian Stacy Cay wrote: “I want you to look my [sic] in the eyes and tell me this isn’t president material”:

Rotimi Adeoye, of MS NOW, wrote that Ossoff is “playing it smart” and “could be the one”:

Another user claimed Ossoff “would be about 1,000,000x better as the Dem nominee than Newsom or Harris”:

Someone else suggested he was “making a case for himself beyond Georgia”:

And even an account named ‘Walz for President 2028’, referring to the Minnesota governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, tweeted that Ossoff would “definitely f***ing win” if he was the Democratic nominee:

But for now, at least, he’s hoping to be re-elected as a senator.

The 2026 Senate election for Georgia

While Ossoff is running on the Democratic ticket, three candidates are vying to run against him for the Republican Party, with the primary election to decide taking place on May 19.

These are former football coach Derek Dooley, and representatives Mike Collins and Buddy Carter who are now looking to obtain a seat in the Senate instead of remaining in the House.

The US Senate election for Georgia takes place on November 3.

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