Nate Silver Identifies Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff as Top Choice for 2028 Democratic Primary

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A prominent polling analyst known for his track record in predicting election outcomes has identified his preferred candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

Speaking at the Crooked Con political conference on Saturday, Nate Silver—who accurately forecasted Democratic gains in the House and Senate during the midterm elections—named Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff as his primary choice.

According to The Daily Beast, Silver described the 39-year-old senator as a “slam dunk number one pick” following his recent re-election victory.

Silver noted that Ossoff won his race by a margin of approximately 16 to 18 points, suggesting that the senator serves as an ideal “compromise candidate” between the progressive and centrist wings of the party.

Silver, the founder of FiveThirtyEight and author of the Silver Bulletin, questioned if Ossoff’s talent and moderate appeal could provide a significant advantage in a national race.

A Georgetown graduate and former staffer on Capitol Hill, Ossoff entered the Senate in 2021, becoming the first Jewish senator representing Georgia and the first state Democrat to win a full term since 1996.

In Tuesday’s election, Ossoff secured 59 percent of the vote against Republican challenger Mike Collins, who received 41 percent. In his victory remarks, Ossoff characterized the results as evidence that the American electorate has rejected Donald Trump.

Over the last two weeks, Ossoff’s perceived odds have surged on prediction platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, surpassing figures such as Alexandria Casio-Cortez and Gavin Newsom.

While Silver is not the only figure viewing Ossoff as a serious contender, Fox News host Laura Ingraham compared him to a new Obama. Hank Sheinkopf, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, told The Observer that Ossoff would be a “very interesting candidate” because his representation of a southern state and his rhetoric fit the current political moment.

However, some political strategists worry that Ossoff’s policies regarding Israel could be a hurdle. The senator has described himself as a committed supporter of Israel while also criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the actions of Israeli forces in Gaza.

During the campaign, Collins accused Ossoff of using the Senate as a mere stepping stone to the White House, while Ossoff countered by claiming his opponent had ties to neo-Nazi ideology.

Despite the growing presidential buzz, Ossoff stated last month that he has zero interest in running for president at now and remains focused on his Senate duties. History suggests that early polling and chatter are not always definitive; for instance, Jeb Bush was considered a frontrunner before the 2016 election before failing to win a single primary.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)