As if Democrats don’t already have enough problems, progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is leading Chuck Schumer in a hypothetical New York Senate primary – and is generating more buzz about a 2028 presidential bid.
According to new survey results from the liberal polling firm Data for Progress, AOC thumped the Senate Minority Leader 55 percent to 36 percent among a group of 770 likely Empire State voters when asked who their preferred candidate would be for Senate in three years. While progressives have long fantasized about elevating an original member of the “Squad” to the Senate, the Data for Progress poll is the most concrete evidence to date that such a feat might be possible.
Whether AOC would actually challenge Schumer remains an open question. But it’s no secret that there is no love lost between the two, particularly after Schumer allowed passage of a Republican-led spending bill last month – something AOC and other progressives vehemently opposed. But Schumer, who would be seeking a sixth term in 2028, has proven himself a masterful political tactician. He has deep, long-standing relationships with all the major power brokers in New York politics and business. The idea that he would lose to anyone by double digits in a primary isn’t impossible, but it is highly unlikely.
Nonetheless, the Data for Progress survey reveals that AOC’s clout has expanded beyond MSNBC and TikTok into serious discussions about who the future leaders of the Democrat Party might be. In the void left by Kamala Harris’s defeat last November, AOC has an opportunity for advancement.
That opportunity may be even bigger than the U.S. Senate. As The New York Times reported last month, many within the party see AOC as the heir apparent to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders – and presumably his presidential ambitions as well.
At 83, Sanders is almost certainly not running for president again. 20 “progressive Democrats” who spoke with the Times said AOC is the clear leader to take up Sanders’ mantle.
Sanders himself seems to view AOC as protégé of sorts. The pair are currently in the midst of a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour that is difficult to see as anything other than a passing-the-torch moment within the progressive movement. Sanders and AOC have routinely drawn tens of thousands of cheering supporters, something few other figures in the Democrat Party can currently manage.
But Kamala Harris proved last year that rally crowds aren’t indicative of electability. As independent journalist Matt Taibbi put it in an article for his Substack “Racket News,” the idea of running AOC for president in 2028 is “an instant entrant in the Hall of Fame of Bad Ideas, on par with a Hitler bobblehead day promotion or training orangutans to pack flatware. This will not end well.”
Ever since she burst onto the scene in 2018, AOC has been a thorn in the side of Democrat leadership and a major liability for the party’s brand. She is immensely popular with the party’s left-wing base but deeply unpopular with everyone outside of that group. She epitomizes why the leadership in both parties is secretly terrified of the primary process: candidates like AOC who win primaries by appealing to a majority of the primary electorate (which is itself a small portion of the general population) cannot win a general election.
It was for this reason that the Democrat establishment conspired against Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. As unfair as Sanders’ treatment was, Democrat Party leadership was probably correct that he would have lost to Trump. (Although their chosen candidate in 2016, Hillary Clinton, lost to Trump anyway.)
But 2028 will not be 2016 or 2020. The Democrat Party’s reputation is in shambles, with a record-low 29 percent favorability. The prevailing sentiment among rank-and-file Democrats is that the party establishment is not doing enough to oppose the Trump administration – opening a lane for an outsider like AOC.
Democrat Party loyalists are justified in feeling betrayed and lied to by the party. For four years, party apparatchiks and media talking heads insisted that Joe Biden was mentally competent and completely fit to serve as president. When that fraud was exposed on national television during the first presidential debate, the propaganda machine immediately turned on Biden and pivoted to recasting Kamala Harris from hapless vice president to the female Barack Obama. Then she lost in embarrassing fashion to Trump – something Democrat leadership assured their voters could not, would not, must not happen.
It thus stands to reason that AOC could have a real shot at the nomination in 2028. For voters looking to stick it to party bosses, AOC is an attractive choice in a primary.
So far, all of this sounds strikingly similar to Donald Trump’s stunning capture of the GOP nomination in 2016. Like AOC, Trump was an anti-establishment pick who harnessed the seething resentment of Republican voters who were tired of being ignored, manipulated, and lied to.
But there is one crucial difference. Trump’s platform welded together the best aspects of traditional conservative principles with modern populist nationalism and a sprinkle of old-school Democrat protections for workers. Trump forged a new agenda for the Republican Party that has broad appeal, which is exactly why he saw historic gains with Black voters, Hispanic voters, young voters, and so many other traditionally Democrat demographics last year.
AOC’s platform, on the other hand, is a toxic brand of European-style socialism and cultural Marxism that has no appeal beyond a small, noisy cohort of progressive partisans. But with the Democrat Party fractured and rudderless, those voters may be able to carry AOC to the nomination.
If AOC does mount a legitimate bid for higher office, it won’t just be a referendum on Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, or even the Democrat establishment. It will be a clear sign of just how far left the party has shifted and how much it has failed its traditional voter base.
AOC may fire up TikTok and campus town halls, but it remains to be seen whether she can win over the people who actually show up in November — the working-class voters in Scranton, not just the activists in Brooklyn. While intra-party squabbles make for great headlines, they don’t often win elections.
Shane Harris is the Editor in Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Is this the same AOC that said if she were to travel to the sun, she’d do it at night? Just imagine the idiots in her administration.
Being from Central NY, I sincerely hope a MAGA candidate can win that seat. We need some one with Trump swagger and confidence. I have been unhappy with the Democrats for a long time, as they do not listen to their voters, once voted into office. I was a Democrat for the first 10 years that I was able to vote, and they never once gave me a thoughtful reply when I wrote to them about any issue. It was always, this is our stand, and we will adhere to it. When people left the Democrat party I knew why, and cheered the ones who had the guts to leave. While Chuck Schumer isn’t much better, AOC represents the worst, and most Extreme Socialist left of the Democrats. No, we don’t want her in the US Senate.
AOC is doing pretty good for an ex bartender. She’s now worth 29 million working a job that only pays $175,000 a year. I wonder who’s pocket she’s in?
The problem is there are too many stupid democrats that will vote for this woman, and it is probably a shame that most New Yorkers outside of New York City will oppose her, but it is hard to beat the democrats of NYC. Just remember and don’t forget she is a member of the Democratic Socialist Party and that is not going to change.
Democrats are really just a bunch of socialist, bordering on communist.
Ones like AOC are the main reason I left the Demonrat party a few years ago. She is an idiot and whoever would vote for her has no more sense than she does. She is so ignorant of so much. Of course….that’s NY.
New York democrat supporters are insane. AOC was recruited to run for Congress by Socialist Democrats of America, the extreme left wing communist lunatic fringe of the democrat party. They got her elected and reelected. She is a meat puppet – nothing more. Thirty five years from now she will be the Maxine Waters or Nancy Pelosi of those times unless something changes.
Then spread the word..AOC is Marxist!
How anyone would vote for AOC is beyond me. She is on the level of Harris as far as having no ideas for America. She is a communist who hates conservatives and America. Sanders hates America he is a Russian operative and AOC is an Obama follower, who also hates America. AOC with the other 3 of the Squad are anti American through and through. Her so called Oligarchs Tour with Bernie is not against the oligarchs but for the oligarchs. The dems that vote for their candidate are not the ones that decide who will win and who will lose. The oligarchs the likes of Soros, Pritzker, Gates, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Obama, yes he got stinking rich from all these oligarchs that run the democrat party. There is nothing democratic about the democrat party. They haven’t cared about America as a constitutional republic since Obama. They voted in Biden who was so demented the Easter Bunny had to help him to exit, and many others. Money bought him the presidency. The COVID was released at the right time. AOC for president don’t make me laugh. Like Biden she won’t be running the country but the oligarchs.
Shows the success of the brainwashing over the past 50+ yrs from K-12 & the importance of permanently banning the use of machines & getting rid of mail-in ballots FOREVER.
A party with a 21% approval rating, anti-America, pro-violent gang agenda, and candidates like Alexandria Occasional Cortex believes that a mud wrestling death match between Dumber and Schumer will help them raise approval by bringing in Nielsen ratings? The Groucho Marxist democrat party clown show can barely get any more comical, as if passing off Clinton’s gargoyle Carville as a sage analyst wasn’t already enough of a farce. Get some popcorn and watch the Kool Aid peddler death match while in the meantime adults get to make policy, and right the former Ship of Fools under Trump!
AOC is a typical democrat: all mouth, no brain. If she has her way, the USA will not stand a chance. Morons from all over the world will flood the country. Stupidity would prevail.
The collapsed, disgraced, humiliated, lying, and corrupt Damnocrap party lies in a complete pile of smoldering ruin. Trump and 77-million people destroyed them. Now, their actual worth and value to America is LESS than a clubbed sack of $hit.
THIS PATHETIC PARTY OF LOSERS IS NOW THE DISMAL PARTY OF HATE, ANGER, VIOLENCE, CRIME. THREATS, RIOTING, BURNING, VANDALISM, HATRED FOR AMERICA, HYPOCRISY, LIES AND PURE EVIL. THEY HAVE NO VISION, NO LEADERS, AND NO PLAN (OTHER THAN CONTINUING TO DESTROY AMERICA). THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO OFFER EXCEPT MORE OF THE SAME – MISERY, CRIME, DRUGS, OPEN BORDERS, RAPES, MURDERS, CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING, SICK PERVERTS IN WOMEN’S SPORTS AND BATHROOMS, ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC……………………
God help the USA if that is the best the dumb as craps have to offer. on the other hand one can see why she appeals to the young and stupid. cause the the young and stupid are young(inexperienced) and stupid(like IQ numbers of 50 and below) just like her
If she can win a state wide election NY a a whole is more messed up than any of us realized!
It amazes me that this country has elected so many socialist politicians to any office, even dog catcher. Where is Senator McCarthy when you need him? By that I mean his hearings on communist intrusion into our country. Does she really win elections honestly? Did the dummyrats install her like, Bidum? I just find it hard to believe there are that many ignorant people in Brooklyn. She’s a bartender for christ sake. Was she giving away free drinks to garner votes? God save the country from these fools.
The woman has a mentality of a 12 year old, how did she get to where she is and managed to survive is a mystery, only brain dead could vote for her, people like that mentally incapacitated should not be allowed to vote, they will be cared for but who will take care of those who are providing the care?That’s what it is about, you can’t carelessly derail economy and expect to survive, is she and those voting for her that dense?
AOC is all about stupid (AAS) and needs a mental health evaluation.
This poor woman, now a millionaire, has decided she likes money, lots and lots of money!
Yes this is the idiot that has said a number of really stupid things. She is the last person on Earth I’d want to be President. She should have stayed tending bar. And as for Bernie Sanders, how dare he talk about the rich elite and oligarchy. Isn’t it he who has 2 or 3 mansions? Just another hypocrite.
That would tell me more about NY then I’d ever want to know, sadly. The fact that she’s still in office speaks volumes on that now.
AOC is not a Democrat but a Socialist-Communist she was schooled by choice.
My God! It’s scary that she could be victorious in any federal election! She should run as a dog catcher not a U.S.Congressional Rep.
NY People-Wake Up!
The Democrat Party candidates have become choices between worse and worst candidates. Why people still vote for any Democrat is beyond me.
She is such a ding-dong! I truly do not understand how she could be creeping up in the Dem party rankings. If this is all they’ve got to offer, they are really in dire straits.
Joe Kennedy got it right: she’s the reason shampoo comes with instructions. But don’t take her for granted! Remember they almost voted in KAMALA!
As far as I’m concerned, she should be deported as a traitor!
As absurd as it appears, never forget, the dems have this uncanny capacity to pull rabbits out of the hat, in spite of the fact that the likes of AOC are so left, the left is right. While I doubt she, or any of her ilk will ascend very far, the possability still exists, knowing historically, crazier things have happened in this country when it comes to leadership choices and successes. Think about Obama, a no body from no where with no real platform gained two terms. Carter, a peanut farmer made it to the White House, Teddy Roosevelt came out of nowhere as well. We cannot discount the option of AOC, especially when we see so many really stupid voters on the rolls. The likes of AOC have to be cornered and prevented from ascending. Even the dems know this. Not that this is a viable comparison, but there was a failed corporal/paperhanger who nearly destroyed the world in his ascension to power. So, pay attention people, the threat is still out there!
AOC can and be danger in politics, Don’t trust the situation that is going on!
Isn’t AOC in trouble for hiring an illegal in her staff and she supposedly covered it up? How can anyone trust her?
AOC, Jasmine, Tampon, Baldie, etc. are the gifts that keep on giving. Please beat Scummer which will pull some sane [how many?] Dimms to a GOP candidate. Lee Zeldin showed that a Republican can draw more votes than usual!
AOC, I don’t understand why anyone would pay any attention to this mindless twerp.
The Democrat party is daily becoming more dangerous and disastrous. The best that could happen is that it could die a quick death and a new party of the people and the Constitution would take its place along the lines of the Democrats pre-Obama and during JFK. Fat chance! We must eep our eyes wide open and fight them with all we have so they cannot regain the absolute authoritarian power they took under Biden’s handlers.
Oh, hell no! AOC becoming the leader of our country is just not conceivable. But then, the liberals felt that way about Trump. And almost 4 years is a ways off, so I won’t be pessimistic. If Trump is successful, the dems won’t have a chance.
You said it perfectly; “AOC’s platform, on the other hand, is a toxic brand of European-style socialism and cultural Marxism that has no appeal beyond a small, noisy cohort of progressive partisans.” This is not someone we want in office.
AOC is a far left socialist. I shudder to think of her as President.
AOC would make Kamala look like a genius.
The great senator McCarthy commented about Aoc. “AOC is the very reason they print directions on shampoo bottles”
OMG This woman is a dangerous idiot and S is the leader of the party of the Left and violence and antisemitism? The Democrats are DEAD. What halfway intelligent person would support this atrocity?
As much as I detest Chuck U, the voters of New York electing Sandy Cortez to anything (even dog catcher) would be worse. If she decides to run for the Senate in 2028, I hope the New York voters remember her Amazon debacle, the fact that she is a member of “The Squad,” and realize that her IQ is less than zero! Please send her back to bartending for the sake of NY and the rest of the country as well!
And I apologize to all NYers that didn’t vote for her.
In my 67 years I have never encountered a woman as stupid as AOC. I don’t mean just unintelligent, I mean pure stupidity. I once worked with a guy at Boeing who looked like a rabbit and was extremely stupid. He thought he was brilliant though and kept coming up with the stupidest ideas. He was too stupid to realize his own stupidity (like AOC). The problem was that some in management actually listened to him and tried to force us to implement his stupid ideas. Fortunately we were able to kill them all.
She belongs in a nut house!
I would enjoy the spectacle of AOC and Jasmine Crockett competing for the Dem Presidential nomination. But neither one would get it. The DemonRats will manipulate the primary rules, as they always do, to ensure an “Establishment” figure gets the nomination. But it would be one hell of a show.
Excellent article.
Schumer may have great friends but he is losing face every day. AOC is the face of looney LEFT. She may not have wide appeal but she would pick up chucky’s friends if that ship starts sinking. Clearly not smart enough on her own for heavy politics, AOC would not doubt arrive with deep pocket puppet masters behind the curtain.
If a citizen is a communism lover, AOC will get the votes to be elected.
My mistake it was senator Kennedy from Louisana not MCarthy.
“Routinely drawn tens of thousands of cheering supporters” who, I believe, Taibi was one of the investigative reporters to report, with likely proof, were mostly the same ppl pictured at ALL the “rallies”. They r paying “rally-goers” to show up and pad the numbers, and, rather stupidly, hiring the same ones over and over again bc they r professional “rioters” and rally-goers”. Trouble is the same ppl r pictured right in the thick of things all the time. They r trying to portray a growing support for their socialism garbage. Truth is, not enough ppl r showing-up on their own so they have to buy fake support. Some ppl may show-up to more than 1 rally, of course, but not all the rallies across the whole country!!!!
AOC. Proving yet again the only thing dumber than a KKKalifornia voter is a New York voter. (smmfh)