Ossoff and Collins hold final Georgia Senate debate; Ossoff rules out 2028 run

Mixed · 2Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins held their second and final Senate debate on Tuesday 13 October, an hour-long event organised by the Atlanta Press Club. 1 2 Left · 1Asked directly by a moderator, Ossoff said he would not run for president in 2028, saying: "I have zero interest in running for president. I'm not running for president. I'm running for re-election to the Senate." NBC News reported that he is regularly discussed as a possible 2028 Democratic contender and stressed he would serve a full term. 1 Left · 1Collins quipped that Ossoff was in fact trying to run for president and would be "your DSA candidate", a reference to the Democratic Socialists of America. 1

Left · 1The debate covered data centers, the economy under President Donald Trump, the war in Iran, and Collins' son-in-law promoting white nationalist posts on social media. Ossoff asked Collins whether he considered himself a "white nationalist"; Collins answered, "I condemn any sort of hate speech," and called antisemitism and hate "abhorrent". 1 Left · 1Collins again asked Ossoff to denounce donor Reid Hoffman, whose name appeared in the Epstein files; NBC News said Ossoff did not respond directly and instead pointed to people close to Collins amplifying white nationalists' posts. Ossoff asked, "How weak a person do you have to be to be unable to stop someone under your own roof from disseminating neo-Nazi propaganda while you run for Senate?" 1 Left · 1Collins did not address that charge directly. He said rhetoric like Ossoff's had motivated a New York man who made death threats against him, saying, "This crazy person is in jail right now because of your rhetoric." NBC News wrote that neither candidate directly answered the other's charges. 1

Left · 1Collins again did not say whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election when Ossoff asked about Trump's call asking Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes"; Collins replied, "Joe Biden went into office, and boy, Georgians paid for it." 1 Centre · 1Ossoff won his seat in 2020 and is seeking a second six-year term; Collins represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District and won the GOP nomination in a June runoff. Newsweek said Republicans hold the Senate 53-47. 2 Centre · 1Ahead of the debate, Newsweek reported that Ossoff had led every public poll since the summer. Trafalgar Group, regarded as leaning Republican, had him at 51% to 43% among 1,101 likely voters (7–9 October, margin of error ±2.9 points), and the RealClearPolitics average in late September was 51.1% to 43.3%. Cook Political Report moved the race to "Likely Democrat", and prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket gave Ossoff about 95–96%. 2

Mixed · 2At the first debate, hosted by Atlanta News First the previous Thursday, Ossoff called it "The trial of Mike Collins" and attacked him on alleged ties to white nationalists, a pending House ethics investigation and loyalty to Trump. Collins portrayed Ossoff as an out-of-touch liberal and defended Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Ossoff pressed Collins on Trump's tariffs in both debates. 2 1 Centre · 1Newsweek said cost of living tops Georgia voters' concerns, followed by health care and data centers. Collins has said he condemns racism and antisemitism. Early voting opened across Georgia on the day of the debate, ahead of the 3 November election. 2