Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is on a winning streak. In just the past month, four progressive House candidates she backed in open primaries have won decisively, establishing her as an early kingmaker as she considers a 2028 presidential run. But her selective approach to endorsements is creating friction within the left.
The friction stems from strategy. While Sen. Bernie Sanders has backed dozens of progressive candidates across the country this cycle, Ocasio-Cortez has been far more discriminating about where she puts her name and energy. She has stayed out of several high-profile races, including Senate primaries in Maine and Michigan, where Sanders endorsed Graham Platner and Abdul El-Sayed respectively. She has also avoided backing anti-establishment progressives challenging sitting House Democrats, even though her own political birth came from ousting a Democratic incumbent.
That caution has drawn criticism from some corners of the left. A New York progressive operative told Axios that Ocasio-Cortez picks only races that appear to be "close to a sure thing," avoiding the riskier plays. In contrast, City Council Member Zohran Mamdani, seen as closer to the Democratic Socialists of America, has thrown support behind Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist challenging Rep. Adriano Espaillat. The operative praised Mamdani's willingness to "ruffle feathers."
Sanders and Mamdani are scheduled to rally together in Brooklyn this week for Chevalier. The event will also feature New York congressional candidates Brad Lander and Claire Valdez, both DSA-backed. Lander is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman. Valdez is running for the seat vacated by retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez. Ocasio-Cortez has not weighed in on any of those races.
Her restraint in the Maine primary proved particularly strategic. By staying neutral, she avoided the cascading controversies that engulfed Platner after his victory, keeping her political capital intact while progressives elsewhere felt let down by her absence.
The math of her wins is undeniable. Ocasio-Cortez's four endorsed candidates prevailed in California, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Jersey, often defeating the Democratic establishment's hand-picked candidates. Her picks have succeeded in both solid Democratic districts and areas controlled by Republicans, demonstrating reach across geography.
But what drives her choices? A source close to her endorsement process explained that she evaluates candidates on two tracks: can they win, and will her endorsement move the needle? She interviews contenders about field organization, their path to victory, and community ties. The calculus is ideological but also intensely practical.
For Philadelphia congressional candidate Chris Rabb, a state representative challenging Gov. Josh Shapiro's preferred candidates in a three-way primary, Ocasio-Cortez saw local credibility. People around town called him "Rep. Rabb" as shorthand, signaling deep roots. She headlined a rally for him. Rabb won his primary by double digits and later acknowledged that while he didn't win solely because of her, her involvement "got me a lot of traction, got me new attention on the race."
The power of her endorsement became even clearer in a negative case. Anti-establishment candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who served as Ocasio-Cortez's first chief of staff in Congress, ran for the House in San Francisco without her backing. His opponent spent roughly $1 million attacking Chakrabarti for the non-endorsement, using it to question his trustworthiness. Chakrabarti lost the race and said her absence was probably the decisive factor, though he expressed no resentment toward her.
Democratic strategist Jesse Lehrich, who tracks 2028 candidates, bristled at the criticism: "Only AOC could strategically leverage her influence to secure improbable progressive victories from NYC to Montana, and get yelled at by the left for being a sellout."
Ocasio-Cortez has been somewhat less cautious about backing progressives challenging state lawmakers in New York, a middle ground between her national restraint and national ambition. New York City DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo noted her appeal to ordinary working-class voters. "She definitely moves votes at the doors when you're talking to people," he said.
Author James Rodriguez: "Ocasio-Cortez has cracked the code on endorsement impact, but buying credibility with the base while positioning for 2028 requires that you pick your fights wisely, not fight them all."
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