Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently underlined that she doesn’t see her political career peaking at being a congresswoman. In a May interview, she openly said, “My ambition is to change this country.” Now she appears to be on the way towards making that happen.
There’s already much speculation about AOC running for president in 2028. Though she hasn’t confirmed those plans, she also hasn’t ruled them out, saying she’s “deeply flattered and humbled” that she’s leading in polls of Democratic voters. Even so, she admits that in the current political climate, her winning the presidency is a long shot.
As she told the NY Times: “I’m not naive to the fact that we are living under a very regressive administration, and I happen to be a woman, and I, you know, happen to be Latina. And I think that there’s a lot of conversation about electability, and I don’t kind of shy away from those realities.” As per The Washington Times, she also admitted that running in 2028 would be an “all or nothing” move that could end her political.
“I don’t kind of shy away from those realities”
But if the presidency is a pipe dream, challenging 75-year-old Democrat stalwart Senator Chuck Schumer in a primary feels a little more realistic. AOC explained to NY Times that she’s eager for Democratic midterm success and a Senate majority, “We’re working hard to have that problem … the best possible problem we could have as a country”. When pressed about her plans to topple Schumer, she didn’t deny it, simply saying, “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
Schumer has served as New York’s senator since 1999 and for many is the ideal of a centrist, establishment Democrat. Perhaps most notably, Schumer has long been one of Israel’s most passionate Democratic supporters, openly billing himself as “The Guardian of Israel” and saying, “My job is to keep the left pro-Israel.”
The left is currently extremely anti-Israel. Polling by Pew Research found 80% of Democrats/Democratic-leaners hold an unfavorable view of Israel overall, with a corresponding spike in sympathy with Palestinians. A new generation of left-leaning Democrats has been riding that wave of discontent, with AOC prominent among them. In 2024, she told Congress that “If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes… Honoring our alliances does not mean facilitating mass killing.”
Recent polling appears to be putting some wind in her sails. In March this year, a Data for Progress survey of Democratic voters said that in an AOC vs Schumer primary, 55% would support or lean toward supporting Ocasio-Cortez, while only 36% would back Schumer. That will make for satisfying reading for her and, even if we don’t get President AOC in 2028, maybe 2032 or 2036 will be her years.
Published: Sep 23, 2026 03:29 am