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Democrat darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily secured reelection Tuesday night in New York’s 14th congressional district – amid mounting speculation of a potential 2028 run for president.
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The incumbent four-term congresswoman cruised past her Republican challenger Diamant Hysenaj, winning by a landslide with 78.7% of the vote in her lefty Bronx and Queens district, The Associated Press projected just six minutes after polls closed at 9 p.m.
The midterm win solidifies her popularity among her mostly Democratic home base, further igniting rumors that she’ll either run against long-time Sen. Chuck Schumer or launch a 2028 presidential bid.
Ocasio-Cortez’s political allies — including the Democratic Socialists of America — have encouraged her to throw her hat in for what’s expected to be a crowded presidential primary.
Andrew Epstein, a political strategist who works closely with the group and was instrumental in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rise to power, recently claimed the groups ultimate goal is to “take over” the Democratic Party — and Ocasio-Cortez was the most obvious choice for the job.
“I cannot imagine any other politician who can mobilize the electorate needed to win the presidency,” Epstein told a Belgian newspaper last week.
Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t been coy about broadening her national influence, notably campaigning alongside democratic candidates in hotly contested states like Michigan, Massachusetts, and Maine.
She also stumped alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul — encouraging left-wing support and voter turnout for the moderate democrat who faced off against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman — ultimately defeating him by TKTK.
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In September, Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times she would further consider a bid for the presidency after the midterm elections.
She candidly noted that a potential run in two years at the end of her next term would leave her out of a job if she were to lose.
“It’s very all or nothing. If I were to run in this cycle, and not win, I would be done…and I am not opposed to that,” she told the outlet.
“That, in and of itself, does not exclude the decision..but it has to make it worth it.”
Ocasio-Cortez has served her Bronx and Queens district since 2019 – after pulling off a major political upset in 2018 – defeating the district’s 10-term incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley.
She entered the House of Representatives as the youngest woman ever elected to congress at age 29.
