Days after raising speculation about her 2028 prospects in a New York Times interview, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she is focused on helping Democrats — including herself — win reelection in 2026.
Ocasio-Cortez has recently been the subject of speculation about a possible 2028 Democratic presidential bid, a race expected to draw a crowded field. Some prediction markets list her among the leading Democratic contenders.
Potential candidates include Democratic governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also are viewed as possible contenders.
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“Our next election is in November,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. “2028 is two years away. My focus is on this year.”
Earlier this week, Ocasio-Cortez traveled to upstate New York, far from her New York City-based district, to campaign for Democrats hoping to regain control of the House in November’s election.
During a campaign speech, she said she understands why some voters have not been motivated to support Democratic candidates.
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“This has been such a hurtful and divisive and horrible time where we have seen some of the worst of human nature emerge — corruption, racism, bigotry, just all of it laid bare,” she said. “It’s not surprising to me that oftentimes turnout is not the same as it was in 2020 because what a lot of people are seeing is, in the wake of all of this depravity, they do not see leaders standing up courageously to defend against it.”
