Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia pledged on Tuesday that he would serve a full Senate term if he’s reelected next month.
It’s a striking commitment given that Ossoff, who is running in a battleground state, has been floated as a 2028 presidential candidate and has proven himself to be a messaging leader for the Democratic Party.
His promise was made in a debate against Rep. Mike Collins, Ossoff’s Republican opponent in the Senate race, where he was asked almost immediately if he would stay in the Senate if reelected.
“Yes I will,” Ossoff, whose upcoming Senate term would run through the start of 2033 if reelected, replied. “I have zero interest in running for president. I’m not running for president. I’m running for reelection to the Senate.”
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Ossoff has previously said he’s uninterested in seeking the presidency, but Tuesday’s pledge ruling it out was the most unequivocal statement he’s made in response to the question.
The candidates argued over affordability, health care, abortion and gun rights at the debate, which was their second time facing off.
Like last week, Ossoff used the stage to highlight Collins and his family and staffers’ ties to far-right views. The debate devolved as the two talked over each other.
Ossoff asked Collins if he would “stop the production of neo-Nazi propaganda from [his] home,” while Collins blamed Ossoff for death threats he’s received and sought to tie him to Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer whose comments about Israel have become campaign fodder.
Ossoff also hammered Collins over a pending ethics investigation into his office’s use of taxpayer funds, which Collins called a “nothing burger.”
While some Republicans in battleground states have distanced themselves from President Donald Trump by opposing certain policies, Collins has defended the Trump administration across both debates, with little exception.
Though Collins appeared to create a little daylight with the president when he was asked about federal intervention in elections, saying that “voting should always be a state’s right,” he followed up by pitching the SAVE Act. The legislation, one of Trump’s top legislative priorities for months, would restrict voting access.
Ossoff has consistently led in the polls and enjoyed a huge fundraising advantage over Collins.
National Democrats, confident in Ossoff, appear to believe he’s on track for reelection: On Tuesday, the Chuck Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC said it was removing ad spending it had dedicated to Georgia.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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