Tipsheet

CNN Says This Democrat Could Become the Presidential Nominee in 2028

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  July 22, 2026 12:15 PM

CNN analyst Harry Enten made a rather interesting speculation for who Democrats might choose as their presidential nominee in 2028.

During a recent segment, he declared that in 2028, this could be “Ossoff’s America,” referring to Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA). When asked why, he said Ossoff “is Hotlanta” and went on to explain why he could potentially become the Democrats’ nominee.

You know, back in January, January first, Gavin Newsom was the clear leader of the pack according to Kalshi, 35 percent chance. Jon Ossoff was down at five percent. AOC was down at ten percent. Look at where we are now. Gavin Newsom's numbers have absolutely tumbled in the Kalshi prediction markets, an 18 percent chance. Still may be the nominal leader, but look who is up like a Hotlanta rocket, up to a 16 percent chance to be the 2028 Democrat nominee. Jon Ossoff, the senator from the great state of Georgia. AOC right behind him at 15 percent. But the real mover, at least in terms of looking forward at this very early look, is Jon Ossoff tripling his chances from five percent actually more than tripling, to up to 16 percent chance now.

Enten further suggested that there are other metrics showing that Ossoff’s star is rising. “Google searches for Jon Ossoff up 300 percent versus last July,” he said. “That perhaps isn't so surprising given, of course, he is running for reelection. But I will note it's the most ever for him in a July…So it's not just interest within Georgia. It is interest in Jon Ossoff nationally."

The analyst also pointed out that Ossoff has a considerable war chest after his campaign amassed $77 million, making him the “top fundraiser for Senate this century.”

A Fox News poll conducted in June showed Ossoff holding a 58 percent favorability rating among registered Georgia voters.

Ossoff has a few things going for him. He hasn’t been tied to any major scandals throughout his political career—at least not any that have been exposed yet. With more scrutiny, there is no telling what might come out of the woodwork.

But this doesn’t mean he’d have an easy time of it. 

Ossoff espouses a lax approach to immigration. He supports comprehensive reform that would include a path to citizenship for some illegal aliens.

It’s also worth noting that outside of Georgia, his profile is more modest, unlike California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose national notoriety has increased over the years. Even further, Newsom is currently working on building national support for an eventual 2028 run.

Ossoff has not indicated whether he intends to take a run at the White House. He said he’s only focused on his reelection campaign. But we’ve seen that movie before, haven’t we? If the signs look positive for a potential campaign, it’s almost certain he will throw his hat into the ring.