Actress Alyssa Milano dodged calls and texts from Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff while interviewing for a New York Times profile about her liberal activism.
For a Times piece about Milano's status as an "it-girl activist," a reporter followed the actress through a flurry of activity in Washington. Milano's phone buzzed repeatedly as she met with members of Congress. Milano ignored the series of texts and calls from Ossoff, the Georgia Democrat for whom she enthusiastically campaigned in 2017.
And Jon Ossoff, the Georgia Democrat and documentary filmmaker she campaigned for in 2017, whose texts and calls she was ignoring as she made her way between meetings just hours after he announced he would run again. (She would deal with them later.)
Ossoff lost the 2017 special election—then the most expensive House election ever—to Republican Karen Handel in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District. Handel went on to be defeated by Democrat Lucy McBath in 2018.
Ossoff, despite being only 32 and never holding elected office, announced Sept. 9 he would seek the Democratic Senate nomination to challenge Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.). He didn't respond to a request for comment from the Washington Free Beacon about whether he wants Milano's endorsement again.
The Charmed actress is now known more for her work on progressive political issues than for performing on camera.
"It's a very interesting balancing act, because I'm straddling both worlds," Milano told the Times. "I get texts from politicians asking me what the activism community thinks, and I get texts from the activists asking what the politicians are going to do."
She has already expressed enthusiasm on Twitter for another Democratic challenger in the Georgia race: Clarkston, Ga., mayor Ted Terry.
Me too.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 12, 2019
Georgia Action Fund, a pro-Perdue group, needled Ossoff for being ignored by Milano and accepting a campaign contribution from Jim Barksdale, a former Democratic Senate candidate who has expressed belief in 9/11 conspiracies.
"Jon Ossoff may not be able to connect with Ms. Milano any more, but he seems perfectly content to accept the financial backing and social media promotion of a 9-11 truther," said Georgia Action Fund executive director John Burke. "Ossoff continues to show that he is hopelessly 'out of touch' and unfit to serve in the Senate."