Ocasio-Cortez to decide 2028 run after midterms

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she will decide after the November midterm elections whether to run for president in 2028 or challenge Senator Chuck Schumer of New York for his Senate seat, leaving all options open as she weighs electability, personal timing and the results of progressive candidates on the ballot. In an interview published September 22, 2026, the New York Democrat said every element of the decision is within consideration and that she would make her choice after the midterms. Speaking separately to the New York Post last week, she said, "I will be making any of those considerations after the midterms" and added, "I think we'll learn a lot in November." Ocasio-Cortez, 36, is seeking reelection to a fifth term representing parts of the Bronx and Queens in the November election, but a presidential bid or a Senate challenge to Schumer, 75, who has not announced his own 2028 plans, are both live possibilities. She said she is not waiting on anyone else's decision. "I don't think that my decisions would come down to deference," she said.