Should AOC run for President in 2028?

The possibility of a Green New Deal administration

Graeme Sloan / The Washington Post / Getty Images

Trump won on a populist platform and, despite failing to keep his promises, his success is a lesson for Democrats. It’s not merely enough to be “not Trump,” a winnable candidate must (a) appeal to the material conditions of the public, and (b) offer a vision of the future that is inspiring, authentic, and consistent.

Kamala Harris faced numerous challenges to her 2024 electoral success. Firstly, she had only 107 days to design and articulate her platform, thereby limiting broader understanding of exactly where she stood on critical issues. People, frankly, weren’t given time to mentally absorb her political platform and how it differed from Biden’s.

Further, Harris switched positions on fracking, going from opposing it as Vice President to supporting it as a presidential candidate. Her assertion, in reference to anti-trans laws, that one must “follow the law,” was a blow to the support of her queer base. Her insistence on supporting Israeli military packages despite the Gaza genocide was a major injury to her chances at winning, particularly among Gen Z voters.

2028 prospective presidential polls put Harris, Newsom, and AOC in the lead for the Democratic nomination. With Harris and Newsom as the leading moderate Democrats, the cardinal center-left option is Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

So, what does a candidate like AOC offer the public? She’s built a political machine unlike any other politician, with digital and physical teams organizing, producing content, and reaching people across the country. She uses social media to interact with Americans, sort of like a digital town hall, in a way no other politician does. Her political machine has inspired people like Talarico and Harris to pursue public engagement online.

AOC’s signature policy program, the Green New Deal, could offer a massive overhaul of the national energy portfolio while also tackling inequality and poverty. A Green New Deal administration could look like Medicare for All, a 100% renewable energy and just transition, free tuition at public universities, robust public transportation, funding for cities to mitigate and redress climate impacts, research for weather-related illnesses, building more public housing, and more.

It would be the most progressive administration since FDR, and as Elizabeth Warren has noted, the Democratic Party would deeply benefit from becoming a “big tent” coalition like it was during the New Deal Era.

While Michelle Obama has remarked that the United States is “not ready for a woman” to be president, especially considering the electoral losses of Clinton and Harris, researchers argue that sexist voters are just as unlikely to vote for a Democratic man as a Democratic woman.

Further countering Michelle’s assertion is the fact that AOC is one of the most popular politicians in office, with massive support from both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, AOC is viewed more positively than Harris and Trump. She is so far third in line for the 2028 nomination, despite being only a representative in the federal House. Harris, on the other hand, was Vice President of the United States, and Newsom is Governor of California.

What AOC brings to the table is a bold vision for universal healthcare, climate policy, clean energy, housing, and a war on inequality. Whether or not she should be president isn’t a question of whether she can inspire voters, articulate an authentic and bold platform, or handle the job — all of which she has demonstrated that she can. Rather, it’s a question of whether running for president or the Senate is the right choice for the movement.

Without Bernie Sanders running this time, perhaps AOC is the presidential candidate to carry the flame.

It is critical to build a movement early. If those in favor of an AOC presidency want to win in 2028, the movement must organize and mobilize as soon as possible, even without a formal campaign launch. This moment is about many things, and one of them is the vitality of building the base needed to defeat moderate liberalism and usher in an era of bold, progressive policy.

The people and planet depend on it.