Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff rules out 2028 presidential bid
During a televised debate, incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff said he has no interest in running for president in 2028 and will focus on seeking re-election to the Senate.
Senator Jon Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent from Georgia, told voters on Tuesday night that he will not pursue a presidential campaign in 2028, emphasizing his intention to serve a full six-year term in the Senate.
"I have zero interest in running for president. I'm not running for president. I'm running for re-election to the Senate," Ossoff said after a moderator asked him directly.
The comment came during the second televised debate of the race, organized by the Atlanta Press Club, where Ossoff faced Republican challenger Rep. Mike Collins. The discussion also touched on tariffs supported by President Donald Trump, the economy, the war in Iran, and allegations involving Collins’ son-in-law’s social-media activity.
Collins responded to Ossoff’s statement by joking that the senator might become the Democratic Socialists of America’s candidate. The debate later saw Ossoff question Collins about alleged white-nationalist content linked to Collins’ family, to which Collins replied, "I condemn any sort of hate speech. Antisemitism, hate of any kind. It's abhorrent."
The candidates exchanged accusations over donor Reid Hoffman’s appearance in the Epstein files and over rhetoric that Collins claimed had motivated a threat against him. Collins also declined to answer questions about the 2020 election outcome and a phone call by President Donald Trump to Georgia’s Secretary of State seeking additional votes.