Jon Ossoff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jon Ossoff
Official portrait, 2021
United States Senator from Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2021 Serving with Raphael Warnock
Preceded by	David Perdue
Personal details
Born	Thomas Jonathan Ossoff (1987-02-16) February 16, 1987 (age 38) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Alisha Kramer ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	2
Education	Georgetown University (BS) London School of Economics (MS)
Signature
Website

Jon Ossoff (born February 16, 1987) is an American politician. He has been a U.S. Senator for Georgia since 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Ossoff is currently the youngest person serving in the U.S. Senate. Before becoming a senator, he worked as a filmmaker, creating documentaries and investigative reports.

Ossoff worked for U.S. Representative Hank Johnson on national security issues. Later, he led a company that made documentaries about corruption in other countries. In 2017, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House but lost. In 2021, he won the U.S. Senate election in Georgia. He defeated the Republican senator David Perdue in a special runoff election.

Jon Ossoff is the youngest senator elected since 1980. He is also the first senator born in the 1980s. Along with Raphael Warnock, who was elected on the same day, they are the first Democrats to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate since 2005.

Early Life and Education

Ossoff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 16, 1987. He grew up in a community called Northlake. His mother, Heather Fenton, came from Australia. She helped start an organization that supports women running for local political jobs in Georgia. His father, Richard Ossoff, is an attorney. Jon Ossoff was raised Jewish. He formally converted to the religion before his bar mitzvah. He has shared that his family's history, including relatives who survived the Holocaust, greatly shaped his views.

He went to The Paideia School in Atlanta. While in high school, he worked as an intern for civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis. In 2009, Ossoff earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University. He later received a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics in 2013.

Early Career and Public Service

After getting a recommendation from John Lewis, Ossoff worked for U.S. Representative Hank Johnson. He was a staffer focusing on national security and foreign policy from 2007 to 2012. From 2013 to 2021, Ossoff was the managing director of Insight: The World Investigates (TWI). This company, based in London, produced investigative documentaries. They worked with reporters to expose corruption in other countries. The company made films about war crimes and other serious issues.

2017 U.S. House Campaign

Results of the 2017 special House election; Ossoff lost to Karen Handel 52 to 48 percent.

In 2017, Ossoff decided to run for a special election for a U.S. House seat in Georgia. The previous representative, Tom Price, had been appointed to a new job. Ossoff quickly became the main Democratic candidate. He received support from important figures like John Lewis and Bernie Sanders.

The election became a big national event. The district had usually voted for Republicans for a long time. Ossoff's campaign focused on local issues and tried to avoid making the election only about national politics. He raised a lot of money for his campaign, setting national records.

In the first round of voting on April 18, 2017, no candidate won more than 50% of the votes. Ossoff received about 48.1% of the vote. Because of this, he went to a runoff election on June 20, 2017, against Republican candidate Karen Handel.

In the runoff election, Ossoff was defeated by Handel. Even though he brought out many Democratic voters, it was not enough to overcome the number of Republican voters in the district.

U.S. Senate Service

Senate Elections

2020–2021 Election

Ossoff speaks to supporters at a campaign rally on November 10, 2020.

Ossoff ran in the Democratic primary election to challenge then-Senator David Perdue in 2020. He won the primary with 53% of the vote. In the general election on November 3, 2020, neither Ossoff nor Perdue received more than 50% of the votes. This meant they had to go to a runoff election on January 5, 2021.

Ossoff's campaign focused on issues like providing financial help to families. He declared victory on January 6, 2021, and news organizations confirmed his win. Perdue accepted the election results on January 8.

On January 20, 2021, Ossoff was sworn into the Senate by Vice President Kamala Harris. He became the first Jewish senator from Georgia. At 33 years old, he was the youngest member of the Senate. He was sworn in using the Bible of Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, a civil rights activist.

Ossoff's election, along with Raphael Warnock's, was very important. It helped the Democratic Party gain a 50-50 majority in the Senate. With Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast a tie-breaking vote, this gave Democrats control of the Senate.

Time in Office

Ossoff and fellow Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock meet with the President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at Emory University on March 19, 2021.

Since taking office, Senator Ossoff has worked on various issues. In December 2021, he asked the Secretary of Education to help Morris Brown College, a historically Black college, get its accreditation back. The school had lost its accreditation in 2002 due to financial problems. After Ossoff's request, the school regained its accreditation in April 2022. This allowed students to apply for federal financial aid.

In January 2022, Ossoff proposed a law that would stop members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks.

Committee Assignments

As a U.S. Senator, Ossoff serves on several important committees. These committees help create laws and oversee government actions.

• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on Rules and Administration
• Select Committee on Intelligence

He also previously served on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Political Views

Jon Ossoff holds views that are often described as progressive on social issues and moderate on economic and security matters. He has been willing to work with members of both parties.

Healthcare

Ossoff supports the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He believes that no American should suffer or go broke because they get sick. He also thinks businesses should not struggle due to health insurance costs. He does not support a single-payer healthcare system like Medicare for All.

Environment

He agrees with the scientific view that climate change is a serious threat. He supports the U.S. being part of the Paris Agreement, which is an international agreement to fight climate change. However, he does not support the Green New Deal.

In 2022, Ossoff helped stop a proposed titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had warned that the mine could cause serious damage to the wildlife refuge.

Foreign Policy

Ossoff and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy meet with Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, September 6, 2021.

Ossoff has been involved in foreign policy discussions. He was part of a group of senators who visited China in October 2023. They met with important Chinese leaders to discuss various issues.

Regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Ossoff has called for a ceasefire. He has stated that Israel has a right to defend itself. He also emphasizes the importance of peace and equal rights for all people in the region.

Government Reform

Ossoff has called for changes in government to make it more fair. He wants to remove special interest subsidies that make it hard for new businesses to compete. He also supports statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This would give them full representation in Congress.

A key part of his 2020 campaign was ending stock trading by members of Congress. He believes this would prevent conflicts of interest.

Voting Rights

Ossoff supports passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. This law aims to protect and expand voting rights for all Americans.

After Georgia passed a new election law in 2021, Ossoff expressed his concerns about it. However, he also said he did not support corporate boycotts of the state. He believes Georgians need jobs and investment.

Personal Life

Ossoff with his now-wife, Alisha Kramer, during his 2017 congressional campaign.

Jon Ossoff is married to Alisha Kramer. She is a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. They got married in 2017 after dating for 12 years. On the night Ossoff was elected to the Senate, Alisha was working at Emory University Hospital. They have two daughters, born in December 2021 and June 2025.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Jon Ossoff para niños