Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez are tied at a 17 percent chance of becoming the Democratic nominee for the 2028 presidential election, according to live odds from Coinbase’s prediction market. California Governor Gavin Newsom trails in third place with a 14 percent probability, leaving the long‑term front‑runner in a distant position.
Ossoff, who was elected in January 2021, recently drew national attention after mocking President Donald Trump at an Atlanta rally. He said, “He doesn’t want to do his job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.” The remarks sparked a sharp response from the president, who compared Ossoff to the 1980s entertainer Pee‑Wee Herman, and from the White House, which amplified the controversy. Trump’s former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Communications Director Steven Cheung, and spokesman Davis Ingle all condemned the senator, with Cheung calling him “Jon Jackoff” and Ingle labeling him a “cringeworthy, feminine theatre kid cosplaying as Barack Obama.” Ossoff remained unmoved, choosing to observe the backlash.
Ocasio‑Cortez, a prominent progressive on Capitol Hill, recently announced she had frozen her eggs, a move some interpret as a pause on motherhood to pursue a presidential bid. She has also stepped back from some of the “woke” rhetoric she used in 2020, a shift seen by some as an attempt to move closer to the political center. Meanwhile, Newsom, who has frequently mocked Trump on social media, said his recent trip to South Carolina was partly motivated by a potential presidential run. None of the three—Ossoff, Ocasio‑Cortez or Newsom—has formally announced a campaign, and they have all treated the idea as premature given that the midterms have not yet occurred.
Traditional political surveys still place former Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead for a 2028 candidacy, citing her experience with national campaigns. Harris has said she has not decided on a run and remains focused on the midterms, speaking at the National Urban League conference in Nashville about her work on behalf of candidates such as James Talarico in Texas. She did, however, outline new policy positions, including expanding the Supreme Court and pursuing statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., indicating she has considered her next political move.“}
