AOC test-runs a Senate bid in upstate New York
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's flirtation with a 2028 Senate bid is getting real — more real than the presidential buzz around her might suggest.
- She's barnstorming through upstate New York, meeting with local officials, and kicking off a voter turnout program that could help her collect valuable data for a possible Senate campaign.
Why it matters: Whether the House member from New York runs for Senate or the White House is one of the biggest questions hanging over the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
Zoom in: Her swing through Buffalo and Ithaca was officially aimed at boosting Democratic turnout in the midterms. But it doubled as a way to test AOC's appeal far from her home base of Queens and the Bronx, and build relationships with locals.
- In Buffalo, she met privately with Mayor Sean Ryan, then held an impromptu press conference with him, generating coverage of the duo on local TV news.
- She and her team later kicked off a voter-turnout operation that could help them gather information about the electorate outside New York City.
- "I want to be very forthright about our intentions here, which is to transform the state of New York," Ocasio-Cortez told activists in a Buffalo arts center who were attending a training session of hers aimed at getting inactive voters to the polls.
- In Ithaca, she appeared at an apple festival with Rep. Josh Riley (D-N.Y.) and on Sunday was scheduled to headline a "Students vs. Billionaires" town hall. It's friendly terrain: The city is home to several democratic socialist elected officials, and Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
The intrigue: AOC says she's genuinely undecided on whether to run for the White House or Senate. Her recent activities upstate suggested that wasn't a head fake.
- Ryan said Ocasio-Cortez has been talking with state officials about how help communities beyond New York City.
- Meanwhile, some influential Democrats in early presidential primary states have told us they haven't yet heard from AOC. And she hasn't made public visits this year to some of those early states, a contrast from other potential 2028 contenders who are practically living in them.
Many political insiders believe that if Ocasio-Cortez were to run for an open Senate seat, she'd clear the Democratic field.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who's in his fifth term, hasn't said whether he'll run for reelection.
- AOC was greeted like a rock star on her upstate tour, with Ryan remarking that at City Hall "a young man really, literally shouted across the lobby, like, 'Oh my gosh, congresswoman, can I take a picture with you?'"
Yes, but: Ocasio-Cortez also has taken several steps that could point toward a presidential run. She's toured the country, moderated her stance on some cultural issues, and opened up about her egg-freezing journey.
- She recently told the New York Times she'll consider whether to run for president after the midterms.
Between the lines: One exchange with Ocasio-Cortez offered a window into how she is approaching her decision.
- We asked her how she's thinking about the future of the progressive movement as she weighs a White House run. In the last two open Democratic presidential primaries, there has been a clear progressive standard-bearer, and many on the left think she's their only hope for 2028.
- She didn't seem persuaded that by that argument.
- "The movement is so much bigger than any one person," she told us.
The bottom line: AOC suggested that her choice won't be solely about ideology.
- "These decisions aren't always about punditry or ideology. It's about putting the country first," she said. "What's important is ending … the corrupt reign of the Trump administration, as well as any of its acolytes."
- Asked whether that means she's weighing "electability" as she determines her next move, she replied, "I don't see who wouldn't."
