Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and her team are positioning her to run for president or the U.S. Senate in 2028, according to people familiar with her operation.
Why it matters: Ocasio-Cortez’s 2028 decision could shake up the presidential race or the Senate’s leadership. A fellow New Yorker, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, is up for re-election in 2028.
A Senate race between Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez, 35, would be a generational clash pitting the Democratic Party’s leading traditionalist against its star insurgent progressive.
State of play: This year, Ocasio-Cortez — widely known as AOC — has campaigned across the country and in parts of New York State far from her Bronx and Queens district, all while investing millions to grow her already formidable online presence.
She has also brought in some former senior advisers to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to bolster her operation.
Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t made any decision about her future. But her team is working to give her choices.#
I think the primary, if she runs for president, will consist of Pritzger, Newsom and her. This is speculation from September 2025, so a lot of shit will change between then and now. Chilling as it is to say, there’s no guarantee all three will still be alive.
I don’t think we’ll get any clarity until we see how 2026 plays out.