Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday’s ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is making national headlines for a couple of reasons this week. Not only is she backing California’s controversial Proposition 50, but according to recent polls she could be a viable candidate for either the U.S. Senate or even the White House in 2028.
AOC is All In on Prop 50
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, yells as President Joe Biden speaks during the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington. “The Squad” is made up of founding members, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NY-14, Ilhan Omar, MN-5, Ayanna Pressley, MA-7, Rashida Tlaib, MI-12 and new members Jamaal Bowman, NY-16, Cori Bush, MO-1, Greg Casar, TX-35, Summer Lee, PA-12 and Delia Ramirez, IL-3.
On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a 30-second ad that shows AOC urging voters to go all in on Prop 50. This measure will allow lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional districts in favor of Democrats. She says in the clip, “Donald Trump is redrawing election maps to force through a Congress that only answers to him, not the people. If he gets away with it, all bets are off, for our health care, our paychecks and our freedoms.”
She’s a Contender For 2028
Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday’s ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY
While her support for Prop 50 shows her ability to play on the national stage, Ocasio-Cortez’s political future is where much of the attention is now centered. Multiple polls suggest she would be a contender in a crowded Democratic field in 2028, should she run for president. Newsom consistently leads in these early surveys, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris. Ocasio-Cortez typically pulls between 8 and 10 percent support, enough to place her in the second tier of candidates but also a sign of her unique potential to galvanize younger and more progressive voters.
The Numbers Are In Her Favor
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addresses the crowd before U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came on stage on the campus of The University of Michigan, Sunday, March 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Her numbers in New York tell a different story—one that may be even more consequential. A Data for Progress poll this spring found her leading Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer 55 percent to 36 percent among likely Democratic voters. Another survey of New York City Democrats showed a similar result, with Ocasio-Cortez ahead 54 to 33. For Schumer, who has yet to announce if he will run again, the prospect of a primary challenge from the party’s most visible progressive would mark a major political test.
Will Her Embrace of the Left Be Her Downfall?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-D-N.Y., introduces Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., before he speaks during a campaign rally on the campus of the University of Michigan Sunday, March, 8, 2020 a head of the Michigan primaries on Tuesday. Berniesanders 030820 10 Mw
The divide within the Democratic Party makes her decision even more significant. Some party strategists fear her unapologetic embrace of progressive policies could alienate moderate voters in a general election. Others see her as the only figure capable of recapturing the kind of energy and grassroots enthusiasm that defined Bernie Sanders’ campaigns.
Can AOC Expand The Democratic Party?
Jan 6, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) during a session to the House of Representatives reconvened on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, to elect a Speaker of the House. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
What is clear is that Ocasio-Cortez has been preparing for this kind of national attention from the beginning. Since her surprise victory over Joe Crowley in 2018, she has become the most prominent voice for policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. She has the campaign experience, the name recognition, and a social media presence that rivals Trump’s in terms of reach and immediacy. As one longtime Sanders adviser told Axios, “She has a supporter base that, in many ways, has a larger potential width than Bernie’s.” That is a striking observation—suggesting that while Sanders helped define the progressive lane of the party, Ocasio-Cortez may be able to expand it.
We Won’t Know Anything Until the Mid-Terms
Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY
For now, AOC is staying mum on her decision for 2028. It’s likely that we’ll have to wait until after the midterms to hear about the plans of any candidate, but by giving her voice to California’s redistricting fight, she’s signaling an intention to remain at the center of the national conversation.
