AOC Weighs Presidential and Senate Campaigns. White House Run in 2028 Would Be "All or Nothing."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said her potential 2028 presidential run hinges on an “all or nothing” mentality.
The 36-year-old New York Democrat said that if she were to run in the upcoming cycle for the White House and not win, “I would be done.”
“And I am not opposed to that,” she told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday. “That, in and of itself, does not exclude the decision. But it has to make it worth it.”
AOC also did not rule out the possibility of challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), the Senate minority leader.
“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. “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.”
If Ocasio-Cortez won the presidency in 2028, she would be 39-years old when inaugurated. Even if serving two-terms, she'd be only 47 upon leaving office. The less obvious question to her might be, "Then what?"
On the other hand, challenging and defeating Schumer (or simply winning in a landslide should he step aside) would give her the most prominent U.S. Senate seat in the nation's biggest media market. She'd be sought after for comments on the most innocuous pieces of legislation. She'd be in a position to push for Puerto Rican and Washington, D.C. statehood. And her political clout would give her leverage to be on important Senate committees.
Perhaps, most importantly, AOC would gain foreign policy chops if she sought out and was assigned a committee seat on Foreign Relations and/or Armed Services, experience that would be invaluable in a presidential run - committees that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has never been on despite wanting to be the Commander-in-Chief twice.
Winning the Senate election in 2028 would put her up for re-election in 2034 (a mid-term election year) and again in 2040 (a presidential election year, when she still be only 51-years old).
If another Democrat runs for president and wins in 2028, she's effectively locked out for running for president until 2036 (possibly against a two-term Democrat vice president). If another Democrat runs for president and loses in 2028, she could run in 2032 without having to give up her Senate seat to run. If she loses in the Democrat presidential primary in 2032 or is on a losing ticket as the VP nominee, she could still run for re-election to the Senate in 2034 AND run for president in 2036 if a Republican is in the White House.
In a nutshell, Ocasio-Cortez will have FAR MORE options if elected to the Senate in 2028 and with many more years to influence U.S. policy-making decisions well into the mid-21st century as BOTH a U.S. Senator and potential U.S. president than a simple one shot and done in 2028.
J.D. Vance is not going to be easy to defeat in 2028, despite all the Trump baggage. And Marco Rubio will be an even tougher opponent. If AOC passes up a 2028 presidential run, she will still be a very important surrogate for whoever the Democrat nominee will be.
The 36-year-old New York Democrat said that if she were to run in the upcoming cycle for the White House and not win, “I would be done.”
“And I am not opposed to that,” she told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday. “That, in and of itself, does not exclude the decision. But it has to make it worth it.”
AOC also did not rule out the possibility of challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), the Senate minority leader.
“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. “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.”
If Ocasio-Cortez won the presidency in 2028, she would be 39-years old when inaugurated. Even if serving two-terms, she'd be only 47 upon leaving office. The less obvious question to her might be, "Then what?"
On the other hand, challenging and defeating Schumer (or simply winning in a landslide should he step aside) would give her the most prominent U.S. Senate seat in the nation's biggest media market. She'd be sought after for comments on the most innocuous pieces of legislation. She'd be in a position to push for Puerto Rican and Washington, D.C. statehood. And her political clout would give her leverage to be on important Senate committees.
Perhaps, most importantly, AOC would gain foreign policy chops if she sought out and was assigned a committee seat on Foreign Relations and/or Armed Services, experience that would be invaluable in a presidential run - committees that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has never been on despite wanting to be the Commander-in-Chief twice.
Winning the Senate election in 2028 would put her up for re-election in 2034 (a mid-term election year) and again in 2040 (a presidential election year, when she still be only 51-years old).
If another Democrat runs for president and wins in 2028, she's effectively locked out for running for president until 2036 (possibly against a two-term Democrat vice president). If another Democrat runs for president and loses in 2028, she could run in 2032 without having to give up her Senate seat to run. If she loses in the Democrat presidential primary in 2032 or is on a losing ticket as the VP nominee, she could still run for re-election to the Senate in 2034 AND run for president in 2036 if a Republican is in the White House.
In a nutshell, Ocasio-Cortez will have FAR MORE options if elected to the Senate in 2028 and with many more years to influence U.S. policy-making decisions well into the mid-21st century as BOTH a U.S. Senator and potential U.S. president than a simple one shot and done in 2028.
J.D. Vance is not going to be easy to defeat in 2028, despite all the Trump baggage. And Marco Rubio will be an even tougher opponent. If AOC passes up a 2028 presidential run, she will still be a very important surrogate for whoever the Democrat nominee will be.
41-45, F
