New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become an early kingmaker in Democratic primaries, with four progressive House candidates she endorsed winning open primaries in the last month. The victories stretch from California to New Jersey, covering deep-blue and GOP-controlled districts alike.
Ocasio-Cortez's approach differs sharply from that of her mentor, Sen. Bernie Sanders. While Sanders has endorsed dozens of candidates nationwide this year, AOC has been far more selective—a tactic some on the left say is overly cautious and reluctant to back challengers against sitting Democratic colleagues.
The winning streak includes congressional primaries in California, Pennsylvania, Montana, and New Jersey, where her picks often beat the Democratic establishment's preferred candidates. The outcomes have boosted her political standing as she weighs a potential 2028 presidential run.
However, Ocasio-Cortez has notably avoided endorsing anti-establishment progressives in high-profile Senate primaries. In Maine, she did not back Sanders-endorsed Graham Platner, and she has stayed out of other competitive Senate races, fueling divisions within the progressive wing over whether such restraint is strategic or self-limiting.