As incumbent Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff has campaigned across the state for reelection, voters on both sides of the political spectrum have begun to wonder what his political future holds.
Ossoff, who is running against the Trump-backed Republican House Rep. Mike Collins, has held a consistent lead in polling throughout the summer following a tight Republican primary runoff that saw Collins take the nomination.
His speeches have led to viral moments. He's gone after President Trump and his administration, calling it the "most corrupt in history" and earning him his own nickname, Pee Wee Herman, from Trump. He stood on stage with former president Barack Obama in nearly matching outfits.
The Ossoff name has grown from conversations across Georgia
to a household name across the country, and rumors of a potential presidential run in 2028 have followed.
Ossoff has repeatedly denied that he has any interest in the 2028 race, saying in a recent debate against Collins that he has "zero interest in running for president." He committed to serving his full six-year term if reelected, and often cites the age of his two young daughters and his focus on Georgia as to why the White House is not currently in his sights.
But, there might still be a Georgia Democratic senator on the 2028 ballot — it would just be the other one.
Warnock says he will 'run for high office' in 2028
Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock is not up for reelection this cycle and will instead be hitting the campaign trail ahead of the 2028 elections.
He won his seat in a special election in 2021, becoming the first African American to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate, then earned a full term in 2022 in a contentious race against football legend and Trump-backed Herschel Walker.
The senator, who is also reverend of the former home church of Martin Luther King, Jr., has appeared with Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta running as the Democratic nominee for governor to support the candidates, but is also looking forward to the next big race.
In an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Warnock told host Jake Tapper he would "make some news for you."
"Come 2028, I will be running for high office," Warnock said.
"High office meaning president?" Tapper clarified.
"I am very much focused on the midterms," Warnock answered.
Democratic control of Congress runs through the South
His focus may be on this race, but the senator is still spending time thinking about the future.
During a stop at a Democratic volunteer office in Roswell on Friday, Warnock said he was focused on the prospect of "having a (Democratic) majority over time" and not just for one or two election cycles.
"Right now, our ceiling is 52. That's unsustainable, we've got to expand the map and my theory of the case is that the road to a sustainable Democratic majority runs right through the South," Warnock told USA TODAY. "So I've been trying to get my party to invest more, to know that what we did in Georgia we can replicate, for example, in a state like Mississippi."
This message was echoed by former vice president Kamala Harris and NAACP president Derrick Johnson during a town hall in South Fulton last week.
"What we are seeing right now, rightly, because the people of Georgia and others in the South are claiming their right to be seen and heard. I do believe that if we continue with this level of activism and energy, a year from now, finally, certain people will start to understand the South must be invested in," Harris said.
Johnson called the turnout "phenomenal," and said he was feeling "energized" by what he was witnessing in Georgia.
"We are feeling the impact of why elections, in fact, really, really matter. And in this moment, I am energized by being in Georgia because you all are setting the trend," Johnson told the crowd. "What is happening in Georgia is phenomenal. 159 counties, and (if) the Black folks show up strong in nine of the 159? Game over. The momentum that you display here will be viral because it opens up what's possible in South Carolina, in Mississippi, in Louisiana, in North Carolina, and you name the place where we have critical mass of our community."
The energy could be an indication that a southern Democrat, like Warnock or even Ossoff, could have significant success in a Democratic primary for president in 2028.
Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A Georgia Senator could run for president in 2028. But which one?
