White House · California · Axios
AOC's hot streak on endorsements divides the departed
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is on a hot streak.
Key facts
- AOC's left-wing picks won congressional primaries in California, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Jersey, often over the Democratic establishment's preferred candidates
- Yes, but: AOC has been more willing to get behind progressives challenging sitting Democratic members of New York's state legislature than Mamdani
- AOC has gotten on a roll by deploying a different strategy from that of her mentor, Sen
- AOC likewise has avoided backing left-wing insurgents trying to unseat Democratic House incumbents, even though she got her start in politics by ousting a sitting member of her party
Summary
In the last month alone, four progressive House candidates she's endorsed in open primaries have cruised to victory, making her an early kingmaker as she weighs a 2028 presidential run. AOC has gotten on a roll by deploying a different strategy from that of her mentor, Sen. While Sanders has endorsed dozens of progressive candidates up and down ballots across the country this year, Ocasio-Cortez has been more choosy. Some on the left say she's being overly cautious, and reluctant to support progressives who are taking on her Democratic colleagues in the House. AOC's left-wing picks won congressional primaries in California, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Jersey, often over the Democratic establishment's preferred candidates.