AOC is surprise leader in 2028 presidential poll and she’s keeping her options open on White House bid

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday she was “deeply humbled” by a new poll that shows her leading in the early 2028 presidential primary state of New Hampshire and, when pressed, would not rule out a 2028 White House bid.

The Independent spoke with the self-described Democratic socialist congresswoman from the Bronx and Queens after a poll from the University of New Hampshire showed her leading in the first-in-the-nation primary.

The survey showed 22 percent of would-be Democratic primary voters prefer Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, while 21 percent would prefer Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly comes in third at 9 percent while California Gov. Gavin Newsom placed fourth at 8 percent.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an AOC ally who won New Hampshire in 2016 and 2020, clocked in at 6 percent while former Vice President Kamala Harris garnered 5 percent.

open image in gallery Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) talks to The Independent about a poll showing her in the lead in New Hampshire. ( Eric Garcia/The Independent )

Ocasio-Cortez did not directly address whether she’d run, nor rule out a bid for the White House in 2028.

“I think there's two things: One is that you know polls are polls, and a horse race is a horse race,” she said. “I am, of course, I think, very deeply humbled and grateful to you know folks who participate and convey that confidence.”

But Ocasio-Cortez said her main focus was helping Democrats win back the majority in the House of Representatives.

“I'm honestly I think my main focus is is really genuinely just the midterms right now, and we have to make sure that we win this majority,” she said.

open image in gallery Polling shows former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in second place in the New Hampshire poll. ( AFP/Getty )

The one-time insurgent, who defeated former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in 2018, has in many ways inherited the mantle from Sanders, the independent socialist senator who caucuses with Democrats and ran two populist campaigns.

In 2024, AOC campaigned heavily for Harris in Nevada courting Latino voters. She also endorsed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his primary challenge against disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Since then, she’s endorsed in both deep-blue districts and swing races. In Pennsylvania’s 3rd district, she endorsed left-wing candidate Chris Rabb’s campaign in one of the bluest districts in the country. She also endorsed Randy Villegas’s successful primary in California’s 22nd district to run against incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao.

Over the weekend, she campaigned with Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s open Senate seat.

open image in gallery Vice President JD Vance (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio are locked in an invisible primary to succeed President Donald Trump. ( Getty )

Historically, the Iowa caucus goes first in the nation before the New Hampshire primary. But in 2024, the Democratic National Committee moved South Carolina to be the first binding primary after President Joe Biden won the primary in 2020 thanks to Black voters. South Carolina and Nevada, which has a high Hispanic population, are now dueling for the right to go first.

Harris, the most recent Democratic nominee, would likely do better in the Palmetto State. In 2020, Buttigieg narrowly beat Sanders in Iowa but fell short in southern states due to a lack of trust among Black voters.

Some Democrats expect Ocasio-Cortez to either run for president or, more likely, for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat in 2028.

On the Republican side, Vice President JD Vance has a wide lead against Secretary of State Marco Rubio to succeed President Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee, with 36 percent of would-be primary voters picking Vance and 26 percent picking Rubio.

Rubio ran for president a decade ago, but failed to put up a significant showing after a poor debate performance against then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.