Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) recently discussed the possibility of a presidential run in 2028 during an interview with New York Times correspondent Shane Goldmacher. The conversation took place over the phone while Ocasio-Cortez recovered from COVID. It all started as a discussion about transferring funds from her campaign account to other Democrats in the Empire State, while campaigning up north in cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse, and Ithaca.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is almost 37 and is in her eighth year serving as a representative for parts of Queens and the Bronx, said she plans to weigh out the next steps in her political career after the November midterm elections are over. She mentioned she’s thinking through several options, including another House term, running for Senate, or potentially entering the presidential race in 2028.
“There’s an argument that some make that this is a very unique political window and, oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot,” she said to Goldmacher in reference to possibly throwing her hat in the ring for president. “And you don’t — and just in life in general — life doesn’t wait for you to be ready for things. Sometimes life just makes things ready for you.”
According to a report from Trending Politics News, Ocasio-Cortez also talked about personal factors involved with launching a presidential campaign. “I think about it personally. I am 36, I’m about to turn 37 years old — and what that means for my life. Pretty candidly, I think about my identity,” she said during the interview.
“I’m not naïve to the fact that we are living under a very regressive administration, and I happen to be a woman, and I, you know, happen to be Latina. And I think that there’s a lot of conversation about electability, and I don’t kind of shy away from those realities,” she added. The New York Democrat then pointed out that she is hesitant to discuss race or gender “because people then just register it as an excuse or a complaint,” but then said, “If you’re asking me about the things that I weigh, of course, that’s part of what I weigh.”
Ocasio-Cortez stated the obvious by bringing up the fact the country has never elected a female president, seemingly suggesting that sexism is the only reasonable explanation for that. When talking about the potential for a Senate bid, she made it clear she wouldn’t base her decision on waiting for others. “I don’t think that my decisions would come down to deference,” she told Goldmacher.
“It’s very all or nothing. If I were to run in this cycle, and not win, I would be done,” she said, speaking of a potential presidential bid. However, she also revealed she’s not opposed to that outcome and that it “does not exclude the decision.” The New York congresswoman then revealed she has big dreams and ambitions for her future in American politics.
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“My ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go, Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go, but single-payer health care is forever, a living wage is forever, workers’ rights are forever, women’s rights, all of that,” Ocasio-Cortez said as she brought the interview to a close.