Ossoff emerges as Democratic favorite for 2028

Ossoff emerges as Democratic favorite for 2028

Jon Ossoff, the Democratic senator from Georgia, achieved a landslide victory in the midterm elections with 58.9% of the vote, nearly 20 points ahead of his Republican rival. Barack Obama compared him to a Kennedy and dubbed him "the new Obama." Betting markets now position him as the favorite for the 2028 presidential nomination, although he insists he has no interest in running. He would be the first Jewish president of the United States.

The victory that fuels speculation

On Tuesday, Ossoff secured his Senate seat in Georgia by a margin that surprised even the most optimistic analysts. He obtained 58.9% of the vote against Republican Mike Collins in a state that backed Donald Trump in 2024. Six days earlier, Obama had appeared at a rally in Morrow (Atlanta) before 10,000 people to endorse him. "It’s not just because he speaks so well; it’s not just because he looks like a Kennedy, so handsome in videos," Obama said. "It’s because he learned from his mentor and my mentor. One of the greats: John Lewis."

The result has sparked conjecture about a presidential bid. On prediction platforms like Kalshi, Ossoff appears as the favorite with 22% odds. However, the senator himself has reiterated that he has no interest in running and will serve his full six-year term. The 2028 Democratic primaries have not yet begun.

Would he be the first Jewish US president?

Ossoff, aged 39, is currently the youngest sitting senator. If he were to run and win, he would become the first Jewish president of the United States. This issue has generated debate regarding the relationship between Judaism and Zionism. In the US, the majority of Jews vote Democrat, and there are Jewish organizations critical of the Israeli government, such as J Street or Jewish Voice for Peace. Ossoff himself has called for an end to the war with Iran and stated that he values Israel's security "but also the lives of innocent Palestinians," a stance that does not align with Netanyahu's line.

A style reminiscent of Obama

Beyond physical resemblance, Ossoff shares with Obama the ability to connect with audiences. Both often appear with shirt sleeves rolled up and hands gripping the podium. Both master rhetoric and diction. Like the Kennedy he is compared to, Ossoff understood the power of television; like Obama, the potential of social media. His background as a documentary filmmaker has given him absolute control over his image. The difference: he is more serious and less spontaneous than the former president.

Context of a party in reconstruction

Ossoff's triumph comes at a time when the Democratic Party seeks to move past the Joe Biden era and the 2024 campaign led by Kamala Harris. His moderate profile appeals to both pogre and centrists. Analyst David Wasserman, of The Cook Report, noted after the elections that Republicans "are not going to expand their dominance in places like Texas with a coastal-type candidate or one who is culturally pogre."

Georgia, which did not elect a Republican governor until 2002 after 130 years, has become a key battleground. Ossoff has demonstrated that a Southern Democrat can win comfortably. But the primaries are another game. And the senator, for now, has made no moves.