The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) voted on Saturday to formally urge Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to seek the presidency in 2028.
The resolution, which passed with a vote of 291 to 123 at the group's convention, shows that efforts to draft the New York Democrat for a national campaign have escalated, Al Jazeera reported.
While the vote does not constitute a formal endorsement from the national DSA organization, it commits the influential New York City branch to building the foundational infrastructure for a potential run. The move serves as a litmus test for the progressive movement’s ambitions, following a midterm election cycle that saw a record eight DSA-endorsed candidates secure seats in the U.S. Congress.
“If the US can elect Trump, I think we can elect Democratic Socialists,” Gustavo Gordillo, an NYC-DSA co-chair, told Al Jazeera. The chapter, which claims approximately 15,000 members, has previously backed Ocasio-Cortez in all five of her congressional campaigns since her initial 2018 victory.
Building Infrastructure for a National Bid
The push from the New York chapter coincides with the launch of an independent grassroots initiative called “Ready for AOC.” According to reporting by The Washington Post, this group is currently gathering signatures and aims to train 10,000 field leaders to establish a volunteer network for a hypothetical presidential run.
“It's clear this is the kind of person who can really move millions of working-class Americans to get involved in the project and ultimately defeat Donald Trump and fascism in the White House,” a leader of the project Ravi Sahai said.
Ocasio-Cortez has maintained a measured public stance regarding her political future. Following the midterm elections, her team indicated she would evaluate how she could “do the most good for the most people,” leaving the possibility of a presidential bid or a run for the U.S. Senate open.
This uncertainty is compounded by the status of Senator Chuck Schumer, who at 75 years old has not yet confirmed whether he will seek reelection for his seat in 2028, The Washington Post noted.
The congresswoman has previously pushed back against the focus on her specific political title. “They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a University of Chicago event in May. “And my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country.”
Policy Priorities and Electoral Strategy
The NYC-DSA resolution outlines a platform that prioritizes issues such as housing, universal healthcare, and childcare. Grace Mausser, a co-chair of the New York chapter, emphasized that these topics are consistently raised by voters at the doors.
“Now that we have put a mayor into City Hall and we’ve elected three socialists in the city, I think regardless of how a politician feels about DSA personally, they’re definitely looking at what we say and how we’re moving,” Mausser told Al Jazeera.
The chapter’s proposed framework for a potential campaign also touches on broader ideological goals, including labor organizing, the cessation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency operations, and alignment with anti-war movements. This platform reflects the broader influence the New York branch has exerted over progressive politics, having successfully backed Mayor Zohran Mamdani in his previous city-wide campaign.
Despite the growing enthusiasm among grassroots organizations, the prospect of an Ocasio-Cortez candidacy remains a subject of debate.
The Legacy of Progressive Organizing
Ocasio-Cortez is widely viewed as a successor to the movement built by Senator Bernie Sanders. The two have coordinated on national efforts, appearing together at “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies that began in early 2025. These events were aimed at addressing a perceived vacuum in leadership within the Democratic Party during a period when the base was demanding more aggressive policy shifts.
The congresswoman has also used her financial influence to solidify her position as a central figure in the party.
In a recent memo to allies, her team highlighted that she had distributed more than $3 million to Democratic candidates during the midterm cycle, aiming to demonstrate that her impact extends well beyond her own district. Whether this infrastructure and financial backing will coalesce into a presidential campaign remains the central question for the 2028 cycle.
