A prominent Democrat’s higher aspirations may have already run aground as candidates are reportedly treating her as being as radioactive as Hasan Piker.
Well before hats meet rings for the next presidential cycle, White House hopefuls tend to test the waters with corporate media circuits, book releases, and campaign events for midterm candidates meant to boost their own name ID. Newly reconnected with her Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) roots, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) has reportedly become persona non grata for elections outside deep blue states as “polling is atrocious for her.”
“I don’t intend to be having a lot of folks from out of state campaigning with me over these next 40 days,” delicately stated Montana Democratic congressional candidate Sam Forstag when asked by Axios if the congresswoman would be out on the trail with him.
Much like radicals kicked terrorist sympathizing Piker to the curb as November neared, Forstag was among those who previously rallied with Ocasio-Cortez only to have now reportedly wiped her endorsement from his campaign website.
“The polling is atrocious for her,” a Democratic strategist told the outlet. “She’s a lightning rod.”
As potential Democratic frontrunners for 2028 each employed their own strategy to garner attention, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom fly fishing with CNN’s Jake Tapper and former Vice President Kamala Harris defending DEI alongside Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, Ocasio-Cortez remained cagey about whether her sights were set state or nationwide for 2028.
Teasing an announcement for after the midterms, the Squad member hadn’t hinted whether she’d be aiming for the White House or toward ousting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) in a primary fight.
AOC is weighing a White House or Senate run — but says one thing has to happen first https://t.co/qcxFny4Yus via @BIZPACReview
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) September 21, 2026
Similarly, when asked if Ocasio-Cortez campaigned in person for any top candidates, Axios was told by the lawmaker’s team, “Call us on Nov. 3.”
Late last week, the congresswoman was directly confronted by reporters about her White House hopes, to which she expressed, in part, “I’m leaving all my options open.”
The Squad takes the White House?
Rep. @AOC says she isn’t foreclosing a presidential/Senate run: “I’m leaving all my options open” pic.twitter.com/mE8mxbEIWe
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 25, 2026
Meanwhile, in June, coverage from CNN detailed how aides were described as “putting together a fall schedule meant to beta-test her appeal beyond a base that adores her.”
In addition to Harris’ appearance in Michigan, other leftists aspiring to the Oval Office have been welcomed by Democrats on the campaign trail, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, President Barack Obama’s onetime chief of staff, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who had been heckled and booed at the Iowa State Fair.
As it remained to be seen if radicals like Florida’s Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon would also distance themselves from Ocasio-Cortez, reactions emphasized the lawmaker’s own record, reminded that there is nothing new under the sun, and presented her own gleeful encounter with Piker.
Running left to win a primary and moderate to survive November is not a new trick. It’s just getting harder to hide
— Bailey (@Bailey95911) September 27, 2026
How dare them! Let the woman try to help them 🤣
— Doris (@DorisB2022) September 27, 2026
Here is AOC making googly eyes at Hasan “America deserved 911” Piker (at Mamdani’s victory party) pic.twitter.com/GqkESeMz1S
— Nashville Tea Party (@NashvilleTea) September 28, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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