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Jon Ossoff

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Jon Ossoff
Personal details
Born
Thomas Jonathan Ossoff

(1987-02-16) February 16, 1987 (age 37)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationGeorgetown University (BS)
London School of Economics
(MS)
WebsiteCampaign website

Thomas Jonathan "Jon" Ossoff (born February 16, 1987)[1][2] is an American investigative filmmaker, former congressional aide, and Democratic candidate running in the 2017 special election to represent Georgia's 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.[3][4][5][6]

Early life and family

Born in Atlanta, Ossoff was raised in Northlake, an unincorporated community in Georgia's 6th congressional district.[7] Ossoff's mother Heather Fenton, an Australian immigrant,[1] co-founded NewPower PAC, an organization that works to elect women to local office across Georgia.[8][9] His father, who is of Russian Jewish and Lithuanian Jewish descent, owns a specialist publishing company.[1] Ossoff was raised Jewish, and had a bar mitzvah ceremony.[10] Ossoff was raised by his parents in the 6th District.[11] He currently lives with his girlfriend ten minutes south of the 6th District.[11]

Ossoff attended the Paideia School, a small private school in Atlanta.[1] While in high school, he interned for Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.[1]

Education

Ossoff attended Georgetown University from 2005 to 2009, earning a bachelor's degree in the School of Foreign Service. He attended classes taught by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren.[12][11]

Ossoff went on to earn his Master of Science degree from London School of Economics in 2013,[12][11] where he wrote his thesis on trade relations between the United States and China.[13]

Career

Ossoff worked as a national security staffer and aide to Rep. Hank Johnson for five years where he drafted and managed legislative initiatives that passed the House and Senate.[7][14] He had top-secret clearance for five months.[15]

Since 2013, he has been managing partner and CEO of Insight TWI, a small business which produces investigations targeting corrupt officials and organized crime for international news organizations.[16] In 2016, Ossoff was an executive producer for a documentary film by Insight TWI for BBC Three; the film exposed atrocities committed by ISIL in Iraq.[17]

2017 special election

Main article: Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017

After learning that Tom Price of Georgia's 6th district had been appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, Ossoff announced his candidacy for this special election on January 5, 2017.[11][18] Ossoff quickly emerged as the most viable Democratic candidate out of a large field of candidates.[19] He was endorsed by prominent figures such as congressmen Hank Johnson and John Lewis,[6][20] and state House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams.[21][22] Ossoff raised over $8.3 million by early April of that year.[23]

The outcome of the election, which will be held on April 18, will be seen by many as an early test of how the first few months of Donald Trump's presidency may have shifted the opinions or voter enthusiasm of educated suburban voters who live in swing districts. Trump under-performed in districts with demographics similar to the 6th during the 2016 election, having won the 6th District by only 1 percentage point.[24] The day before the election, Trump sent out a tweet indirectly attacking Ossoff and his political ideology.[25] Ossoff dismissed Trump's claims in a statement, calling him "misinformed".[26]

Polling

Main article: Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017 § Polling

Ossoff is currently beating all rival candidates, including Karen Handel, in all of the polls, although he does not have a majority according to any.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bethea, Charles (March 3, 2017). "Can This Democrat Win the Georgia Sixth?". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 8, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ Mr. Thomas Jonathan Ossoff, Insight Twi Limited; findthecompany.co.uk (subscription required)
  3. ^ "Insight TWI: The World Investigates".
  4. ^ Bluestein, Greg (January 5, 2017). "A Democrat with a pile of cash commitments announces for Tom Price's seat". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "About Jon". Jon Ossoff for Congress. 2017.
  6. ^ a b Bill Barrow (February 14, 2017). "Georgia special election shapes up as referendum on Trump". Associated Press.
  7. ^ a b "Jon Ossoff Announces Congressional Bid". January 5, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Another Democrat Announces for Tom Price's Seat with some Hefty Advantages". Atlanta Journal Constitution. January 5, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  9. ^ "About New Power PAC".
  10. ^ Kampeas, Ron (March 21, 2017). "A Jewish candidate gives Democrats hope in Atlanta's suburbs". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved March 28, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ a b c d e Murphy, Patricia (February 27, 2017). "Could The Resistance Start With Georgia's Special Election?". Daily Beast. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Hohmann, James (February 23, 2017). "The Daily 202: Will anti-Trump backlash let Democrats win the Georgia special election to replace Tom Price?". Washington Post.
  13. ^ "Jonathan Ossoff in LSE Review of Books".
  14. ^ "How extensive was Jon Ossoff's national security background?". @politifact. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  15. ^ Weaver, Dustin (April 1, 2017). "Democrats go for broke in race for Tom Price's seat". TheHill. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  16. ^ "No Blood Diamonds or Gunrunning in Sight, Why the Documentary Film?". Independent. September 16, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  17. ^ "Girls, Guns and Isis". Insight TWI, Ltd. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  18. ^ "A Democrat with a pile of cash commitments announces for Tom Price's seat". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. January 5, 2017.
  19. ^ Ed Kilgore (February 16, 2017). "Georgia's Special Election to Replace Tom Price Is Still the GOP's Race to Lose". New York.
  20. ^ Roarty, Alex (February 23, 2017). "Democrats hope Trump backlash begins in this ruby-red House seat". Miami Herald. McClatchy. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Democrat aiming for Tom Price's seat picks up key supporter". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. February 9, 2017.
  22. ^ Darnell, Tim (February 28, 2017). "Race to replace Price: Leading in polls, Ossoff doesn't live in district". WXIA.
  23. ^ "Democrat Ossoff rakes in huge amount in 6th District race". myajc. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  24. ^ Fausset, Richard; Steinhauer, Jennifer (March 8, 2017). "A Democrat in Conservative Georgia Rides Opposition to Trump". The New York Times.
  25. ^ May, Charlie. "Trump is scared of Jon Ossoff: The president blasts Democratic candidate ahead of Georgia's special election". Salon. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  26. ^ "Trump takes to Twitter to blast leading Dem as 'super Liberal'". NBC News. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
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