AOC officially rejoins the Democratic Socialists as talk of her running in 2028 mounts

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez officially rejoined the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York chapter this week after previously letting her membership lapse, and the organization said the potential 2028 contender remains in “good standing” with the group.

The move to officially associate herself with the organization comes as the association is under the spotlight of political elites in D.C. as it has proven a major force in Democratic Party primaries this cycle. Candidates aligned with the socialist platform won not only in New York but also notched a victory in Florida with the victory of Angie Nixon. Left-leaning progressives in general have been on an upswing this cycle, winning key races in Minnesota and Michigan earlier in August and ousting several House Democratic incumbents.

New York’s Ocasio-Cortez is one of the few progressives who has explicitly embraced the organization, which is home to a wide variety of leftists and has both in the past and recently included local chapters that staked out far-left positions that threatened to alienate voters. In Wisconsin, concerns about Francesca Hong’s past criticism of the Thanksgiving holiday contributed to the downfall of her gubernatorial campaign. Hong was endorsed by her local Democratic Socialists chapter, and was a member of the organization.

In a statement, a Democratic Socialists of America spokesperson said that Ocasio-Cortez’s membership (which is dues-based) lapsed without the congresswoman’s knowledge, and stated that she was simply rectifying the mistake.

“Democratic Socialists of America confirms Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member in good standing of our organization, having recently rejoined in August 2026,” read an email to DSA members shared with the New York-based news outlet City & State.

“Previously, the representative joined DSA in 2018 with a one-year membership, which DSA’s national leadership recently noticed had lapsed, in 2019. She has since renewed her membership as of this month.”

Other progressives, such as House candidate Will Lawrence in Michigan, chose to allow their memberships to lapse or left the organization entirely to avoid negative baggage associated with the movement.

Many Americans, particularly older generations, still view the “socialist” label with suspicion. Those views are evolving, however, and recent Gallup polling has shown that among Democratic voters, views of capitalism and socialism are reversing as less than half of the party’s voters now have a positive view of capitalism while a much higher percentage (66 percent) view socialism favorably.

The Democratic Socialists of America got its first major boost with the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayoral election. Volunteers organized en masse for the younger progressive as he faced Andrew Cuomo and a torrent of attacks from both the right and the center-left. Democratic Party leadership reluctantly endorsed him after his victory, and spent months over the course of 2026 trying to oppose similar candidates in races around the country.

The New York congresswoman’s choice is highly notable as it is strongly expected by many Democrats and political watchers alike that she will run for higher office in 2028. Ocasio-Cortez is already talked about as a presidential contender and her name regularly appears in polling of the potential Democratic primary field, often showing competitive numbers but trailing behind other Democrats such as Kamala Harris.

Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t made her 2028 plans clear, and as with most politicians of all political stripes eyeing potential presidential bids, she isn’t likely to announce those plans before the November midterm elections. The performance of the party’s left flank in those midterms is likely to factor into her decision, though the congresswoman herself is expected to easily coast to victory in her House race.

Should she decline to run for president in two years, many progressives also are hopeful the 36-year-old Bronx and Queens-area representative will take a swing at unseating Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader and head of the Democratic caucus, who represents New York as its senior senator. He’ll be up for re-election in 2028, giving Ocasio-Cortez a clear second choice for the upcoming primary cycle.

Schumer polled behind Ocasio-Cortez in a Data for Progress poll of that hypothetical matchup, though the 75-year-old senator could opt for retirement rather than face a tough primary fight. Regardless of Ocasio-Cortez’s plans, progressives in New York are incensed at Schumer’s leadership through 2025 and 2026, and are eagerly awaiting the chance to support a challenge against him.

Numerous Senate candidates this cycle have already refused to support Schumer as a potential future Senate majority leader, though no Democrat in the Senate has signaled plans to challenge him for the role.