National DSA withdrew its endorsement of AOC in 2024. Now the New York City chapter has voted 291-123 to urge her to launch a 2028 presidential bid

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received a formal request on Saturday from the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America to begin a presidential campaign in 2028. The chapter approved the resolution by a vote of 291 to 123, according to CNN. The action stops short of any formal endorsement.

Chapter co-chair Gustavo Gordillo called the resolution “a commitment to encouraging and building the foundation for a presidential campaign.” Speaking after the convention, he tied the step to joint work between the chapter and the congresswoman. 

“AOC and New York City DSA are committed to building a stronger democratic socialist movement and DSA will create the conditions for a presidential campaign capable of advancing a working-class political agenda,” Gordillo said.

Local priorities and earlier disputes over endorsement

The New York City measure is the most recent in a series of similar calls from local DSA groups. Chapters in Atlanta, Colorado, Los Angeles, and Ithaca, New York, have already passed their own resolutions asking Ocasio-Cortez to run.

Those earlier resolutions list specific policies the chapters want Ocasio-Cortez to advance. They include an arms embargo on Israel, the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Medicare for All, and the Green New Deal.

The New York City resolution itself presents a potential presidential run as an opportunity to support working-class voters and increase the DSA’s reach nationwide. A recent survey shows AOC leading potential 2028 Democratic nominees.

Some members spoke against the resolution during the debate that preceded the vote. They said they believed Ocasio-Cortez had moved away from the DSA’s core identity and its priorities. They also said the step could create confusion with a later endorsement process that members expect to occur.

Disagreements between DSA members and Ocasio-Cortez are not new. In 2024, the national DSA withdrew its endorsement of her. The national group said she had not met the organization’s required criteria on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Gordillo described the outcome as typical. He noted that the organization rarely achieves unanimous support for its resolutions. He said dissent does not reduce grassroots organizing strength and that members would be prepared to work as foot soldiers for a democratic socialist presidential campaign.

“When we allow dissent, when we allow people to pose constructive critiques of our elected officials, it makes them buy into the movement,” Gordillo said. “We actually have a strong history of doing just that with the congresswoman, where we have not always been aligned on some of her positions on Palestine, and we’ve been able to work together and strengthen both DSA and her own platform. I think that’s what we’re committing to doing here,” he added.

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to a request for comment. She rejoined the DSA in August after her membership had previously lapsed. Ocasio-Cortez has said she plans to decide her next political step after the midterms.

She has said she is openly considering either a White House run or a US Senate run and is weighing her ethnicity, her personal life, her age, and which option is more likely to produce a win.