AOC Now Considered for Presidential Bid as Democrats Reassess Leadership

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s resounding 2024 victory, the Democratic Party is scrambling to redefine itself—and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the firebrand progressive known as AOC, is emerging as a central figure in that reinvention.

According to multiple reports, AOC’s team is laying the groundwork for a high-stakes 2028 bid, weighing a presidential run against a potential U.S. Senate challenge to her party’s aging leadership.

The 35-year-old “Squad” member has not committed to either path, but her recent moves—hiring ex-advisers from Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) orbit, embarking on cross-country tours, and pouring millions into digital outreach—paint a picture of a politician gearing up for national prominence.

This comes as Democrats grapple with internal divisions, Kamala Harris’ reflective new memoir, and a growing chorus calling for fresh leadership to counter the Trump era.

AOC’s preparations are methodical and Sanders-inspired.

She’s brought on former senior aides from the Vermont independent’s campaigns, signaling a progressive blueprint for 2028.

These hires aim to professionalize her operation for either a White House bid or a statewide Senate contest in New York, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces re-election in 2028.

Her activities underscore the ambition.

Earlier this year, AOC joined Sanders on his “Fighting Oligarchy” national tour, a barnstorming effort to rally against Trump administration policies.

Crowds at these events frequently chanted “AOC! AOC!”—a spontaneous endorsement that allies say underscores her star power.

Domestically, she’s held a series of town halls in Upstate New York, far from her Bronx-Queens base, to broaden her appeal.

Financially, AOC is flexing muscle.

Her team has invested millions in social media amplification and supporter list-building, yielding record organic growth: She’s added several million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, X, and Facebook in 2025 alone, boasting 36.7 million total.

Digital ad spending outpaces nearly every other politician this cycle, translating to hundreds of thousands of new small-dollar donors.

Ari Rabin-Havt, a longtime Sanders aide now advising AOC, is bullish: “She has a supporter base that, in many ways, has a larger potential width than Bernie’s.

She has been in the glare of the spotlight from day one and has the national campaigning experience a lot of other potential candidates are now trying to get.”

He added, “It would be the height of arrogance to assume she couldn’t win the 2028 nomination.”

DNC Signals Broad Leadership Bench

The buzz around AOC aligns with a Democratic National Committee push for decentralized power.

DNC Vice Chair Shasti Conrad, who also chairs Washington’s state Democratic Party, emphasized the need for “hundreds of leaders” to fill the void left by the White House loss.

“We need Mamdani to Pete to Kamala to Walz to Newsom … to Beshear to AOC,” Conrad said.

“We need messengers across this country talking about what Democrats stand for, what we will do when we get back in power, how we will make a difference in people’s lives.”

This multipronged approach reflects post-2024 soul-searching. Conrad noted the absence of a singular figurehead without the presidency: “This is the thing that happens when you don’t have the White House… We need hundreds of leaders.”

Timing couldn’t be more poignant.

Harris’ new memoir, released Tuesday, dissects her abbreviated 107-day 2024 presidential campaign and levels sharp critiques at the Biden team.

Excerpts reveal her frustration: “It’s Joe and Jill’s decision.

We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotized… Was it grace, or was it recklessness?

In retrospect, I think it was recklessness.”

Former White House staffers pushed back, accusing Harris of scapegoating Biden rather than owning campaign shortcomings.

Conrad views the book as Harris “speaking her truth,” potentially teeing up another White House bid—or clearing space for contenders like Buttigieg and AOC.

Analysts like Doug Schoen argue AOC could capture the nomination where Harris falls short.

Polling Momentum

Early indicators favor AOC.

April Data for Progress survey showed her leading Schumer 51%-32% in a hypothetical 2028 New York Democratic primary, with 84% of respondents saying Washington Democrats aren’t fighting Trump hard enough—a narrative AOC owns.

Nationally, fresh CNN polling has stunned even skeptics.

Senior data analyst Harry Enten highlighted AOC’s improving favorability among Democrats, positioning her as a “very real shot” for the nomination.

Betting markets reflect the hype: On Polymarket, AOC ties Gavin Newsom at 11% odds for the Democratic nod, ahead of Buttigieg (8%) and Harris (4%).

Kyle Tharp, author of the Chaotic Era newsletter, credits AOC’s digital savvy: Her ad blitz has unlocked a donor floodgate, outstripping peers.