Ocasio-Cortez hires new fundraising firm amid 2028 speculation

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has replaced digital fundraising firm Middle Seat with Aisle 518 Strategies, a firm led by strategist Tim Tagaris, as attention turns to her possible 2028 political plans. The staffing change has prompted speculation about whether she might seek the presidency or challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, but it does not establish which course she will take.

Reports citing people familiar with the change said Ocasio-Cortez parted ways with Middle Seat and hired Aisle 518 Strategies. The firm is led by Tagaris, who worked on the online fundraising operations for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. Ocasio-Cortez’s office declined a request for comment on the staffing change, and neither firm immediately responded to requests for comment.

Ocasio-Cortez has also previously parted ways with her campaign manager and creative director and brought former aides back into her political operation, according to reports. The new fundraising arrangement follows those changes, but neither the staffing decisions nor the firm’s past work establishes whether she is preparing to run for a particular office.