New York Democratic Socialists urge Ocasio-Cortez to run for US president

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has voted to urge Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for United States president in 2028, a move that could serve as an early bellwether for the Democratic Party’s direction in the presidential race.

The resolution passed 291 to 123 at the chapter’s convention on Saturday. While it is not a formal endorsement by the DSA, it commits the New York City chapter to encouraging a presidential bid and building the groundwork for a potential campaign.

“If the US can elect Trump, I think we can elect Democratic Socialists,” Gustavo Gordillo, NYC-DSA co-chair, told Al Jazeera, referring to President Donald Trump.

The convention was held following a strong showing by DSA-endorsed candidates in the midterm elections. A record eight DSA-endorsed candidates were elected to federal office and will hold congressional seats in January.

Ocasio-Cortez, popularly known as AOC, is a longtime member of NYC-DSA, the chapter covering her home city. The New York City branch, which has about 15,000 members, has become one of the movement’s most influential. It endorsed Mayor Zohran Mamdani last year and has backed Ocasio-Cortez in all five of her congressional general elections since 2018.

That electoral influence has given the chapter a prominent voice in shaping the direction of progressive politics in the US.

“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,” NYC-DSA co-chair Grace Mausser said. “We are one of the biggest political actors in the city, in the state, and the country, frankly.”

Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing New York’s 14th congressional district, rose to national prominence in 2018 after defeating a 10-term incumbent in a congressional primary. A prominent Democratic Socialist, she has advocated for policies including universal healthcare, tuition-free public college and labour protections.

The chapter has yet to finalise a national presidential platform. Mausser said it would be built around issues members encounter when speaking with voters.

“The top issues at the doors that we encounter are housing, healthcare, childcare – the hallmarks of affordability,” Mausser said. “Those would all become the core of a federal platform.”

The resolution text says the campaign would provide an opportunity for “continued crafting of a platform that engages the working class”. It also identifies public housing, stopping the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, labour organising and “the anti-war and pro-Palestine movements” as priorities.

The NYC-DSA vote adds to mounting efforts on the left to persuade Ocasio-Cortez to enter the 2028 presidential race, following a debate within the national DSA over her possible endorsement and the launch of an independent campaign urging her to run, called “Ready for AOC”.

Ocasio-Cortez has previously she will decide on her political future after the midterm elections, leaving open the possibility of a 2028 presidential bid or a challenge for a US Senate seat.