Jon Ossoff Wins Progressive 2028 Straw Poll as Kamala Harris Ties for 16th: Sen. Jon Ossoff topped a presidential straw poll at a progressive convention in Washington on Saturday, November 7, just days after a successful reelection campaign in Georgia.
Ossoff was the top pick of 38.4% of the straw poll’s 990 voters, amassing 380 first-choice votes.
Senator Jon Ossoff Visits USFK. Creative Commons Photo.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris received six of the 990 votes cast, tying for 16th place.
Ossoff Wins the Ballot
Ossoff received 380 first-choice votes at Crooked Con, hosted by Crooked Media, a liberal media company founded by former Obama administration aides.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez finished second, receiving 16.6% of the votes, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who amassed 13.9%.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (4.4%) and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (3.8%) made the top five.
AOC. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Former Vice President Harris received just 0.6% of first-choice votes, tying Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy each received 1.2%, while President Donald Trump received one vote.
The three-day convention took place from Thursday, November 5, and included panels, interviews, and discussions about the Democratic Party’s direction after the midterm elections.
Vance the Favored Opponent
Voters were also quizzed on which Republican nominee they would be most excited to run against.
Vice President J.D. Vance topped the straw poll with 45.6% of the vote — more than 30 percentage points ahead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in second place (13.3%).
Donald Trump Jr. came in third with 8.5%.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (5.5%) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (5.3%) were also among the top choices among participants in the poll.
With President Trump’s term limited, preparations are already underway for the Republican presidential nomination race for the 2028 election.
In an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” released on Sunday, Trump refused to be drawn into naming his successor when he leaves the White House in January 2029.
He declined to say whether Vance would receive an automatic endorsement. “Probably. Not necessarily,” he said of a presidential endorsement for any candidate. “Maybe I’m better off not getting involved.”
He had high praise for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing him as “great.”
Vice President JD Vance gives remarks at a Sports Council announcement, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (White House Intern Photo by Julian Casciano)
“He’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump continued. “The ones they think about, but there are many others, and I’d rather not mention their names.
There are some excellent senators. I know them all. I like them a lot.”
Georgia Victory Raises Ossoff’s Profile
Ossoff entered the election cycle as the only Democratic senator seeking reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024.
He defeated Republican Rep. Mike Collins 59% to 41% on November 3, with a handful of votes still to be counted as of 8 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 10.
The Democrat raised more than $100 million during a campaign built around strong criticism of Trump and opposition to the Iran war.
He also called for proposals to restrict congressional stock trading and corporate influence in politics.
“Corruption in American politics runs a lot deeper than Donald Trump,” Ossoff said on the campaign trail. “It’s not just the money that’s corrupted our politics. It is a moral corruption, the cynical indifference of powerful people.”
A hostile campaign in which Ossoff called his opponent a “bigot” saw Collins struggle to raise vital funds, face questions over his agreements with President Trump and defend against ties to white nationalists and an unconcluded House ethics investigation.
“Whatever Donald Trump says, Mike Collins does,” Ossoff said during a debate. “Doesn’t matter what it is. Doesn’t think for himself.”
Who Is Jon Ossoff?
Ossoff’s campaign has supporters and commentators wondering whether he will run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2028.
“Yes, I will,” he said last month in response to a question about whether he will serve a full second six-year term. “I have zero interest in running for president.”
Widely seen as a rising star within the party, Ossoff publicly distanced himself from traditionally left-leaning policies, including Medicare for All, the Green New Deal resolution, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and expanding the Supreme Court, in the lead-up to his 2020 victory.
His appeal among Democrats has come from his direct attack style on his opponents, specifically President Trump.
The 39-year-old has also benefited from the support of younger voters on the social media platform, TikTok.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
