Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Although U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has long been one of the most well-known elected officials affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), her membership in the organization lapsed in 2019 and went unrenewed until August, the group said this week. The renewal comes as the New York lawmaker has drawn attention as a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election.

Her confirmed membership also comes as progressive and democratic socialist candidates have recorded a series of high-profile victories ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, underscoring the progressive flank’s growing appeal for Democratic voters. This summer, New York DSA-backed candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier won congressional primaries, while other progressive candidates, like Melat Kiros, scored notable victories in races across the country.

The timing of the renewal has some fueled speculation about Ocasio-Cortez's political future, particularly as discussions about the 2028 presidential race begin to ramp up.

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DSA said in a statement obtained by City & State New York, “While it is atypical for DSA to address the membership status of individuals, ongoing discussions about the 2028 presidential campaign have prompted this release.” In mid-August, Ocasio-Cortez told Jonathan Karl on ABC’s This Week that she was a member of the New York City DSA chapter, not the national DSA organization.

Matt Klink, owner and president of Klink Campaigns, told Newsweek in an email, "The timing of her renewal, right as various DSA chapters float her for 2028 and the national organization gears up its endorsement process isn't a coincidence. It's a rebrand."

He continued, "AOC realizes that her lane to the nomination begins in the far left lane. Nothing clarifies priorities like a presidential calendar."

Newsweek has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s press team as well as the national DSA and New York chapters for comment via email on Thursday.

Status of AOC’s DSA Membership

Ocasio-Cortez signed up for a one-year national DSA membership in 2018 as she mounted her first bid for Congress. Her annual membership expired the following year and it was not renewed until just recently. At that time, memberships had to be renewed manually. Now, the DSA national chapter offers monthly memberships from $5 to $50 a month, or annual fees from $27 to $200.

In a statement to DSA members that was then shared with City & State New York, the DSA said Ocasio-Cortez's membership had expired several years earlier: “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.”

They added that she is “in good standing of our organization.”

The DSA has repeatedly referred to her as a member throughout those seven years, highlighting her 2020 reelection by referring to her as a “DSA member” in an X post and in a 2024 post, describing her and then-Representative Cori Bush as “DSA members.”

In an August 9 interview with Karl, he asked Ocasio-Cortez if she was still a DSA member, which she replied, “of the New York City chapter. Yes.”

She added, “So, every DSA chapter is formed locally. And so, the New York City DSA chapter, those are folks that you know. It’s my—it’s kind of like your local union chapter.”

Klink told Newsweek that Ocasio-Cortez got "caught" claiming the affiliation, and the ABC interview "made the lapse impossible to explain away." He added, "AOC's socialist brand suggests the 'membership' was more useful as a label than a commitment."

The DSA's national organization establishes the group's overall political direction, while its local chapters maintain some autonomy and organize campaigns and make decisions that may not always align with the national body.

The DSA's national leadership withdrew its conditional endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez in 2024, citing disagreements over expectations and issues related to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

According to the New York City DSA site, in order to be a "full, voting member of DSA nationally, you must join and pay dues with our national organization." It notes that 20 percent of national dues go back to the chapter. Whereas local dues "directly fund the work of our chapter, and are a 100% contribution to NYC-DSA, an entirely member-funded organization."

The national group says it has over 100,000 members and chapters in every state.

AOC Egg Freezing Sparks Speculation

Earlier this month Ocasio-Cortez announced she is freezing her eggs, prompting a public conversation about cost, age, reproductive autonomy and what egg freezing can offer women.

"This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," she said on Instagram in August about the process. The congresswoman added that she had been saving for the procedure for a long time.

Ocasio-Cortez, who plans to document the process online, has shared videos of herself administering the hormone injections involved in preparing for egg retrieval. In her posts, the 36-year-old said women are often not given enough information about their bodies and reproductive health, including on fertility, pregnancy or menopause.

Her decision, which has drawn praise and criticism, is one that has become increasingly common, with U.S. data showing that planned elective egg-freezing cycles have risen sharply over the past decade—even as many people who freeze their eggs do not return to use them within the first several years.

In her announcement, she said, “Men run for office, or frankly they interview for jobs, and people don’t think in the back of their minds, ‘OK, this guy’s running for office, how old is he? Oh, well, is he going to want to start a family?’” she said.

Some commentators have linked her decision to ongoing speculation about Ocasio-Cortez's political future, including a possible bid for president or Senate in 2028.

What Has AOC Said About Running for President?

Ocasio-Cortez has not publicly announced plans to run for president in 2028, though she recently left the door open to a White House bid, telling Karl, “I haven't ruled out the possibility.”

She added, “I'm very humbled by the tremendous amount of support out there. I think that we have a responsibility to remain focused on the midterms and not on our individual aspirations or plans.”

When Karl followed up asking if she would run for Senate against Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, she said, “I think that anything is possible at this juncture.”

As one of the most prominent voices on the Democratic Party's left flank, she is often cited as a potential future presidential candidate.

Following Ocasio-Cortez's renewal of her DSA membership, a group of members launched an effort encouraging a future presidential bid. The X account DSA for AOC described itself as "DSA members organizing to seize the moment, unite Labor and the Left, and elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the Presidency.”

As of Thursday afternoon, about 1,100 people have signed a petition for her to become the DSA presidential nominee in 2028.

However, not all DSA members have welcomed a potential Ocasio-Cortez presidential run. Red Star, a DSA caucus, published a statement expressing skepticism about backing a hypothetical Ocasio-Cortez campaign and questioning her alignment with some of the group's priorities.

The group said in a July statement, "Red Star has serious doubts about throwing our weight behind an AOC presidential run," arguing she has a "lack of political and practical alignment with DSA."

The group added, "This tension between DSA and AOC on political strategy has come up numerous times since her initial election to Congress in 2018, particularly vis-à-vis the struggle for Palestinian liberation."

A July report by City & State New York detailed an internal DSA dispute over how the organization would handle a possible 2028 presidential endorsement, including whether DSA should conduct an all-member poll and who would ultimately make an endorsement decision. The publication reported that the procedural debate was driven in part by members' differing views of a potential Ocasio-Cortez candidacy.

What Polls Show About AOC's 2028 Presidential Chances

Ocasio-Cortez has appeared in early polling of potential Democratic contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination.

An August Echelon Insights survey of 457 likely Democratic primary voters found Ocasio-Cortez at 11 percent, behind former Vice President Kamala Harris at 18 percent, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 13 percent and California Governor Gavin Newsom with 12 percent.

The larger poll of 1,002 registered voters found her with a 33 percent favorability rating. The survey was conducted from August 13 to August 17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. A June Economist/YouGov poll of 1,606 people also found her with a 33 percent favorability mark. That poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

An Emerson College poll conducted on July 19 and July 20 put Ocasio-Cortez at 13 percent, tied for with Senator Jon Ossoff. Newsom and Buttigieg led both congressional Democrats, at 17 percent and 19 percent, respectively. The poll of 574 likely Democratic primary voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

A Harvard/Harris poll released in April showed Harris with support from 50 percent of Democrats in the primary race, up from 41 percent in March and 39 percent in January and February.

Newsom followed Harris with 22 percent support, while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro received 9 percent. Ocasio-Cortez received 8 percent. Five percent said they would vote for someone else.

The poll surveyed 2,745 registered voters from April 23 to April 26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.87 percentage points.

Prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket both list her as the favorite for the 2028 Democratic nomination as of Thursday evening, putting her odds at 17 percent and 20 percent, respectively.