NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., refused to rule out a future Senate campaign after three candidates on the left won New York’s primary election on Tuesday, saying the results left her “encouraged and motivated.”
“I’m sorry I can’t talk about the news here as I’m looking at what’s going to happen in the future,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital when asked if the election results made him more inclined to run for the Senate.
“But I am inspired and encouraged by all the new faces we will be sending to the states and to Congress next year,” he continued.
AOC GOES FOR MAJOR VICTORY AS WORLD CONSIDERS POLITICAL FUTURE
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez waves to the crowd before the inauguration of Zohran Mamdani as the 112th mayor at City Hall in New York City on Jan. 1, 2026. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
The member of the four-pronged “Squad” crushed his Democratic primary rivals in the unseated race in New York’s 14th Congressional District. Along with victories for three of her progressive colleagues in her state, the results fueled speculation that Ocasio-Cortez might win a primary race against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments come after widespread speculation continues to swirl around the possibilities of his political future. The progressive New York Democrat also declined to rule out a 2028 presidential run, telling Fox News Digital “maybe, maybe not” whether a presidential run was under consideration.
The victory of candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for moderate Democrats also fueled debate over whether a progressive wing is becoming the Democratic Party’s national blueprint.
WATCH: AOC LEAVES DOOR OPEN TO 2028 WHITE MARKET BID: ‘MAYBE, MAYBE NOT’
Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, during a news conference on transportation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the MTA Rail Control Center in New York, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Asked if the victory of people critical of Israel represents the Democrats’ national plan, Ocasio-Cortez shifted the focus from policy to campaign strategy.
“It’s not just about our holding positions, but also how we organize and how we run,” he said.
Like Ocasio-Cortez, the three winners were all critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, making the issue a defining point of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
BIG SOCIAL STARS IN THE FOLLOW-UP TO CONGRESS: WHO ARE DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, BRAD LANDER AND CLAIRE VALDEZ?
Congressional candidates Claire Valdez, left, Brad Lander, second from left, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, right, raise their hands with Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a get-out-the-vote rally in New York City on June 18, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The victory showed increased support for socialist-backed Democratic candidates, at least in New York. Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, DN.Y., for New York’s 13th Congressional District; Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won the Democratic primary in the 7th Congressional District, where Rep. Nydia Velázquez, DN.Y., resigning, not seeking re-election; and former New York City Mayor Brad Lander fired Rep. Dan Goldman, DN.Y., in New York’s 10th Congressional District – all after aligning himself with Mamdani’s campaign.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
If they succeed as expected in the November midterm elections and head to Congress, their victory will significantly increase the number of members aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America in Congress.
