SHORTLIST

Rising Star Dem Emerges as 2028 Presidential Favorite

Gamblers have pushed a fresh face to the top of Kalshi’s rankings to be the next Democratic nominee for president.

Jon Ossoff is the new favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

That’s according to Kalshi, where the Georgia senator has edged past Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be the favorite to win the nomination—a first for him on the prediction market.

The millennials remain neck and neck on the platform, with Ossoff, 39, at 18 percent and Ocasio-Cortez, 36, at 17 percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 58, is in third place at 13 percent.

Ossoff rose from having just a 4.5 percent chance in February to officially pass Newsom and AOC on Thursday. His odds steadily rose starting in June—around the same time Newsom’s big lead, as high as 36.7 percent in December, began to crater.

The three frontrunners are followed by last cycle’s nominee, Kamala Harris, who sits at nine percent; former DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 5.2 percent; Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly at five percent; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at five percent; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and ex-Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, who both sit at 3.5 percent.

Unlike AOC, who has not ruled out a White House run, Ossoff has explicitly said he does not intend to run for president in 2028. CNN’s Manu Raju asked him about the growing buzz around a presidential run in June.

Play Video

Ossoff answered, “Let me reiterate. I am not running for president in 2028. I have no interest in running for president in 2028.”

Instead, Ossoff said that he is “laser-focused” on his current Senate race, in which he is the only Democratic senator seeking re-election in a state that Trump won in 2024. Despite this, The New York Times polling aggregator shows that Ossoff is the clear favorite.

Raju did not press Ossoff further on his future ambitions.

Ossoff caused quite a stir in Washington this month after he said that Trump cared only about “traveling with Natalie,” referring to his 35-year-old blonde assistant, Natalie Harp. The White House melted down, bringing fresh attention to the president’s relationship with Harp. The Daily Beast exclusively reported on letters Harp wrote that made her devotion to Trump clear.

NOT SORRY

Dem Star Doubles Down on Blonde Aide After Sparking Meltdown

Cameron Adams

Vice President JD Vance, 42, remains the favorite for 2028 on the Republican side at 43 percent on Kalshi. He is followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 55, at 21 percent, and the soon-to-be termed out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 47, at 5.1 percent in a distant third.

Pollsters are already surveying the nation on a potential Ossoff-Vance or Ossoff-Rubio matchup, with Emerson College revealing this week that Ossoff currently holds a five-point advantage over Vance and a three-point advantage over Rubio.

If any of the top three favorites are able to win their party’s nomination, 2028 would mark the first presidential general election without a baby boomer nominee since 1988.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Josh FialloBreaking News Reporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.