Will Rubio, Ossoff and Ocasio-Cortez run for president?

Politicians eyeing a White House run typically utter the words “I’m not interested” in running for president.

Much of the time, the politicians inevitably jump into the race. And sometimes — as was the case with Barack Obama when he famously declared in 2006 that he “will not” run for president — they win.

But as the field of would-be 2028 candidates comes into view, some of the politicians whose names have been bandied about are privately telling allies, aides, donors and others in their circles that they’re lukewarm on actually running.

And they could actually mean it.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, who has risen on the wish lists of a number of Democrats in recent months as he runs for reelection in Georgia, has said publicly that he has no interest in a White House bid.

“I have zero interest in running for president in 2028,” the senator told WSB-TV in Atlanta last month.

Privately, Ossoff has expressed the same sentiment to allies, even those who are pushing him into the presidential ring by telling the senator that this is his moment to run for the White House.

“I think that’s real,” said one Democratic strategist who has spoken to those in Ossoff’s inner circle. “I don’t think the interest is there, at least for this upcoming cycle.”

One donor added that in a crowded field with more than a dozen candidates and with the Democratic primary map changing for the next cycle “it seems a little tougher for someone like him and maybe he realizes that.”

The donor explained that while South Carolina could be a good state for Ossoff because he’s proven he can win in the South, the next few states — including Nevada and New Mexico — could be a tougher climb.

Another prospective candidate, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has also risen in the ranks of popular Democrats who could one day run for higher office, has told some in her orbit that she may sit out the upcoming election and take some time off.

She echoed those comments in an interview with Fox2 in Detroit, saying, “I think there will be a robust group of people running for president. I will not be one of them in 2028, I can tell you that.”

Whitmer also told a crowd at an annual policy conference in her state that she wanted to take “a little bit of a break” and has spoken to other politicians on both sides of the aisle about doing so.

But she has also sought to remain part of the public discussion on a potential 2028 run, telling a panel in May “never say never.”

“I never thought I would run for governor, so I guess I should know better,” Whitmer said.

More recently, she played coy during a sit-down with California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who has been anything but shy about his interests in running for president.

“I have a bug in that I want to stay involved,” she told Newsom on his podcast, after he inferred that she still has “a bug” and somewhat mockingly urged her to “tell the truth.

“The bug isn’t ‘I got to run for office,’” she said.

Democratic strategist Eddie Vale explained that while there’s a good deal of attention paid to the reasons candidates decide to run for office, “there are a lot of reasons not to.”

“No matter what job you have had, or what campaign you have run before, nothing is comparable to a presidential run,” Vale said. “From the time on the road to scrutiny of every word you have ever said, to the pressure on your family, it kind of makes ‘Odyssey’ look like a stroll around the Mediterranean.”

“For a lot of people it is a very logical answer that putting yourself and your family through it is not worth the small chance of being the one who actually wins,” he said.

On the Republican side, there has been chatter for months about whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio will enter the GOP primary in 2028.

Rubio has told donors and other allies that he will not run, particularly against Vice President Vance, sources say.

Some Republicans — including those in his orbit — interpret that to mean that he wants to take a break from politics, possibly write a book, and put some space between himself and President Trump, who is facing low approval ratings and dissatisfaction from voters about issues including the economy.

“I think he’s smart and knows that a little bit of distance could go a long way,” one Republican strategist said.

But one year in politics is a long time, and politicians realize they may not get another chance. Rubio is also seen by many Republicans as a GOP candidate who could win in 2028 in a general election.

In a New York Times interview last month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is considering a run for the Senate and also a campaign for president, was open about her calculus on running and how she may only get one shot at a presidential run, particularly at a moment when progressives and democratic socialists are gaining steam in her party.

“There’s an argument that some make that this is a very unique political window and, oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot,” she said in the interview.

Obama decided that he would run nine months after he told the late Tim Russert on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would not run.

When Russert confronted him on his earlier insistence that he would not run, Obama explained, “That was how I was thinking at the time.” But he said that the enthusiasm around the country had forced him to reexamine his political aspirations.

Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who has worked on a few presidential campaigns including Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, said candidates have to “seize the moment” when it’s the right time.

“Political history is full of individuals who did not strike while the iron is hot,” Payne said. “I think when the moment calls, you gotta be ready to pick up the phone.”

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