Ari Rabin-Havt, the deputy campaign manager for Sanders in 2020, said that if Ocasio-Cortez “does run, she obviously becomes the biggest star and sucks up the oxygen in that lane.”
As the 2028 presidential election grows closer, far-left Democrats are reportedly escalating their push for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for the role, with no other clear alternative being seen.
Allies shared the pitch for Ocasio-Cortez to run with Axios, saying that she would enter the race polling among the top five potential candidates within the party, with the New York rep being described as "the liberal heir" to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Allies also said that she would be able to raise $100 million just online due to her high-profile status, without having an in-person fundraiser.
Allies also said that there was a window of opportunity to seize amid recent socialist wins across the country, and that "her candidacy would force Democrats to debate issues she and Sanders care about, such as Medicare for All and Gaza." Additionally, if she fails, she would run for Chuck Schumer’s Senate seat, the allies said.
One strategist told the outlet, "I think she’ll plan to run for both and end up a senator."
Ocasio-Cortez ended 2025 with more than $13 million in a campaign account, despite spending several million building up her grassroots fundraising through social media advertising and list building. She has reportedly been asking for frequent updates on liberal candidates running in the 2026 midterm elections, with races in Maine and Michigan possibly backing the theory that voters want more left-wing candidates.
Ari Rabin-Havt, who served as a deputy campaign manager for Sanders in 2020, told Axios that Ocasio-Cortez "has earned her place as the top dog" among liberals, "and if she does run, she obviously becomes the biggest star and sucks up the oxygen in that lane."
She has also been making national and international appearances as of late, appearing alongside Sanders at stops on Sanders’ "Flight Oligarchy" tour, and making an appearance at the Munich Security Conference.
While members of her party are pushing for her to run, Ocasio-Cortez has privately expressed ambivalence about running. Some close supporters think she should wait for future elections, given her age, while Sanders, who has praised the New York Democrat, has not endorsed anyone as a successor.
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