Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is laying the groundwork for a 2028 bid for either the presidency or the U.S. Senate, according to people familiar with her plans.
Her decision could reshape the Democratic Party’s future—either by entering the presidential race or by challenging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, who is up for re-election that year, Axios reported.
A Senate contest between Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez, 35, would pit the party’s longtime establishment leader against its most prominent progressive insurgent.
This year, Ocasio-Cortez — widely known as AOC — has expanded her political profile, campaigning nationally and across New York beyond her Bronx and Queens district, while pouring millions into strengthening her already powerful online presence, Axios said.
Ocasio-Cortez has added several former senior advisers to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to strengthen her political operation. While she hasn’t decided on her next move, her team is positioning her to keep options open.
This summer, she held a series of town halls in Upstate New York, an effort that could broaden her appeal for a potential statewide Senate campaign, said Axios.
At one event in Plattsburgh, N.Y., she said: “Plattsburgh, we are here because every town, every city, every neighborhood in this state matters. Every corner matters. No one deserves to be ignored.”
Ocasio-Cortez has appeared at events nationwide, including joining Sanders on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour earlier this year, where crowds frequently chanted her name.