Nate Silver has named Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff as his “slam dunk number one pick” to lead the Democratic ticket in 2028.
Silver, 47, the statistician and forecaster widely dubbed the “election Nostradamus,” made the declaration Saturday at the Crooked Con political conference. His endorsement of Ossoff, 37, comes just days after Silver correctly predicted that Democrats would reclaim both the House of Representatives and the Senate in last week’s midterm elections.
“He won by what was like 16, 17, 18 points or something,” Silver said of Ossoff’s recent re-election performance, as reported.
“He seems like the uniformly ‘compromise candidate’ between the progressive and the more centrist factions of the party. And he seems very talented.”
Silver also suggested that what he termed Ossoff’s “looksmaxxing” efforts could prove advantageous on the national stage. The comment nodding to the senator’s physical presentation drew notice from attendees at the political gathering.
Ossoff cruised to victory in Georgia’s Senate race last week, defeating Republican challenger Mike Collins 59 percent to 41 percent. The win secures him a second term representing the traditionally Republican-leaning state, building on his historic 2021 victory that made him Georgia’s first Jewish senator.
In his victory speech following that decisive margin, Ossoff framed the results as a broad repudiation of the current administration.
“The American people have rejected the failed lame duck president Donald J. Trump,” he declared.
Ossoff has been an outspoken critic of Trump throughout his time in office. He has previously called the president a “national disgrace” in public remarks.
While Vice President Kamala Harris and outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom are widely regarded as the early frontrunners for the Democratic nomination, Silver’s analysis positions Ossoff as an alternative who could bridge the party’s ideological divisions. The forecaster’s track record lends weight to the assessment among political observers who follow his projections.
On the Republican side, the 2028 field remains unsettled, though one certainty has emerged. Trump, 79, is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term under the 22nd Amendment, which limits any person to two presidential elections.
That prohibition has not prevented the president from occasionally entertaining the possibility publicly. At an Iowa rally last month, Trump told supporters that he possesses the “right to run” despite the constitutional constraint.
He did acknowledge the legal reality in the same appearance, noting that “the law says that I’m not allowed to.”
Earlier this year, Trump expressed personal ambition for another campaign while accepting the legal barriers.
“I would love to run,” he said. “The law is very strong on that. The 22nd Amendment is very clear, and I believe in following the law.”
Ossoff’s potential path to the Democratic nomination would likely run through a crowded primary field, with Harris and Newsom maintaining established national profiles and fundraising networks. His Senate tenure, now extended through 2030 following last week’s victory, provides a platform for building broader recognition should he choose to pursue higher office.