Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is weighing a 2028 presidential or Senate bid, building a national campaign infrastructure that could challenge Chuck Schumer or redefine the Democratic primary.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and her team are preparing options for a 2028 run, either for the presidency or the U.S. Senate, according to people familiar with her operation.
Her decision could reshape Democratic politics. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, is up for re-election in 2028, raising the possibility of a generational clash with Ocasio-Cortez, 35, the party’s most visible progressive.
This year, Ocasio-Cortez — widely known as AOC — has campaigned across the country and held town halls across New York State. “Plattsburgh, we are here because every town, every city, every neighborhood in this state matters,” she told one crowd.
She has brought in veteran aides from Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaigns while spending millions on social media growth and digital fundraising. With 36.7 million followers across platforms, she now outpaces Schumer and most potential presidential contenders.
“Allies believe she may run for the White House to ensure progressives are represented in the primary, much like Sanders in 2016,” one source said.
Former Sanders aide Ari Rabin-Havt argued her reach could exceed her mentor’s: “She has a supporter base that, in many ways, has a larger potential width than Bernie’s.”
Neither Ocasio-Cortez nor Schumer has commented publicly on the matter.