Recent reporting suggests that Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is using his Senate reelection campaign to lay the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run. This is based on the fact that the overwhelming majority of his ad buys have taken place outside Georgia, the state he is currently running to represent.
How much has Sen. Ossoff spent outside of Georgia? To date, the Senator has invested millions in TV, digital, and streaming across early-voting states and key presidential swing states.
Numbers pulled from Google’s database showed that $20,000 worth of ads appeared in Iowa, $23,000 in New Hampshire, $43,000 in South Carolina, and $30,000 in Nevada, all of which function as early presidential primary states, even though they are likely to shift this cycle.
Sen. Ossoff’s ads also ran in key presidential swing states: $113,000 in North Carolina, $134,000 in Pennsylvania, and $95,000 in Michigan. More than $654,000 was spent on Google Ads in California, and $800,000 in digital, streaming, and TV ads in New York.
Sen. Ossoff is clearly interested in getting his name out to other states, but has denied any presidential ambition for 2028. In an interview with CNN, the Senator clearly stated:
- “I am not running for president in 2028. I have no interest in running for president in 2028.”
Is this different from other Democratic candidates? The Senator’s nationalized campaign strategy appears unique among Democratic Senate candidates, with Graham Platner, Roy Cooper, and Sherrod Brown all keeping ad targeting close to home.
Graham Platner is advertising only in Maine, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper is only targeting North Carolina, and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown is doing the same for his state. All three states are top Democratic pickup opportunities.
Official Statement from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC):
- “Jon Ossoff’s national ad buys show he’s more focused on laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run than improving the lives of Georgians here and now,” said NRSC National Press Secretary Bernadette Breslin. “Ossoff treats Georgia as an afterthought, while Mike Collins treats it as a priority.”
