A member of the Democratic Party, Thomas Jonathan Ossoff is seeking a second term in the US senate seat of Georgia in the 2026 midterm elections. He is facing Republican candidate Mike Collins. Elected in 2021 at the age of 33, Ossoff became the youngest US senator at that time, and continues to be the youngest senator in the history of Georgia. Describing himself as a “legislative workhorse”, he is the only Democratic senator running for re-election in a state where President Donald Trump won.
Before entering politics, Jon Ossoff worked as an aide to Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson, focusing on national security and foreign affairs. He later led an investigative media company called Insight TWI, which created documentaries exposing corruption, war crimes and human trafficking. In 2017, he ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives but lost to Republican Karen Handel. In 2021, he won a seat in the US Senate by defeating Republican incumbent David Perdue. Since then, he has led investigations into federal prisons and military housing conditions.
Early years and personal life
Born on February 16, 1987, in Atlanta, Georgia, Ossoff comes from a Jewish family background. His mother, Heather Fenton, is an Australian immigrant who is involved in social work. His father, Richard Ossoff, owns a specialist publishing company. Jon Ossoff attended the Paideia School in Atlanta. He went on to attend Georgetown University and the London School of Economics. During his school years, he wrote to civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, who later offered him an internship in his office. Ossoff is married to Dr. Alisha Kramer, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, and has two daughters named Eva and Lila. The family currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Campaign issues and political record
Ossoff has made issues like the cost of living, healthcare and government accountability, key parts of his campaign. He actively criticized President Trump’s policies, stating that, “Trump came to Georgia to remind Georgians of his failure”. Ossoff has also called to protect healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act. He continues to criticize Republicans for their efforts to reduce Medicaid spending.
After getting elected in 2021, Ossoff has supported legislation on healthcare, online child safety, veterans’ services and public safety. As per his campaign website, he backed efforts to cap insulin costs for seniors at $35 a month and supported extending Affordable Care Act tax credits. He even launched investigations to expose corruption in federal prisons, human rights violations in immigration detention centers and further problems in Georgia’s foster care system.
Immigration, jobs, trade and tariffs
Ossoff believes that the US should strengthen its borders, while ensuring that immigration enforcement respects human rights. He has supported measures to combat drug and human trafficking across the border. In 2025, he voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act, which aims to detain undocumented immigrants suspected of criminal activities. He also faced criticism from Republican Buddy Carter, who accused him of allowing undocumented immigrants to take jobs from American workers. Carter praised Trump’s immigration policies for putting “American workers first”.
Ossoff has also advocated to expand vocational training in order to help workers develop appropriate skills required for a job. During his campaign, he criticized the Trump administration for introducing tariffs on imported goods, arguing that they have put workers and small businesses under financial pressure. During a 2026 debate with Mike Collins, Ossoff pledged to abolish tariffs, arguing that they had hurt Georgia’s agricultural sector and raised the cost of everyday goods. He went on to question the administration, as these tariffs increased the prices of essential baby products as well.
Iran war and artificial intelligence
Ossoff has called to end the war with Iran, arguing that President Trump launched military action without the approval of Congress members. During a debate with Collins, Ossoff argued that the war had raised fuel prices and put American service members at risk. He questioned the administration for launching the war without any evidence of threat. However, Collins defended Trump’s decision to attack Iran, saying it was necessary to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.
Beyond the US-Iran conflict, Ossoff has called for stronger safeguards on artificial intelligence, raising concerns about its impact on children, healthcare and national security. In August 2026, he launched an investigation to examine the risks of AI on children, including the use of chatbots and applications that can create explicit images of minors. He also called for technology companies to take greater responsibility for protecting children online. He has also raised concerns about AI being used to create biological weapons.
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Controversies and conflicts
Ossoff faced criticism from Mike Collins over campaign donations from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who had previously been associated with Jeffrey Epstein and visited his private island. During a debate, Collins questioned why Ossoff had accepted a $7,000 donation from Hoffman and also asked him to return the money. He argued that Ossoff could not criticize people linked to Epstein while accepting donations from Hoffman. Ossoff defended himself by accusing Collins of initially voting against the release of the Epstein files.
Ossoff also faced criticism for his stance on US arms sales to Israel during the war in Gaza. In July 2025, he supported a proposal to stop the sale of certain rifles to Israel, raising concerns about civilian deaths and the situation in Gaza. However, he opposed another proposal to stop the sale of air-to-ground weapons, saying Israel had the right to defend itself against missile attacks. During a debate with Collins, Ossoff also said that Israeli forces had violated international humanitarian law in Gaza. He also said that international courts should determine whether Israel had committed genocide. Collins criticised Ossoff’s position, arguing that it weakened US support for Israel.
Net worth and more
According to a September 2026 report by Yahoo Finance, Jon Ossoff’s net worth is estimated to be around $3.2 million. His August 2026 financial disclosure listed a blind trust valued between $1 million and $5 million. Before entering politics, Ossoff ran an investigative documentary company called Insight TWI. As Ossoff seeks a second term in the Senate, his work in the Senate and his positions on key issues remain central to his campaign.
-By Tanisha Sharma