AOC’s Upstate, Western New York Swing Signals Her 2028 Schumer Challenge

With less than 40 days to go before the midterm election, Puerto Rican-born congresswoman representing N.Y.-14 abandoned her own reelection campaign for Upstate and Western New York hustings, as she prepares to take down New York State’s own iconic Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer in 2028.

For five days, Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez barnstormed in some of the most conservative Democratic-held House seats in the country, alongside Democratic officeholders, setting the stage for her bid for statewide federal office.

If the woman was looking at a White House run, like some suggest, she would be in South Carolina or Iowa, or speaking at the candidate audition events set up for presidential hopefuls.

She is not.

Schumer is one of the most unpopular Democrats in the country, and it does not get better for him at home. In a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters, released Sept. 23, the senior senator has a 36 percent job approval rating compared with 54 percent disapproving.

The same poll puts AOC’s favorability at 41 percent and her unfavorability at 36 percent. Among New York Democrats, 66 percent rate her favorable and 7 percent unfavorable.

Schumer’s fundraising suggests the man, who could become the Senate majority leader if Democrats seize control of the upper chamber, may not be running for another term in 2028.

At this point in the 2022 cycle, based on the 18 months ending with the June 2022 filing, Schumer raised $35 million with $37 million on hand. Going into this midterm, through the June filing, Schumer has raised less than $1 million and has $8 million on hand.

In 2024, Ocasio-Cortez won another term by 30 points, and this cycle, she could beat Diamant Hysenja by 40 points — those kinds of numbers allow one to play hooky.

Thursday, she met with Buffalo Mayor Sean M. Ryan at Buffalo City Hall, and she hosted a Project Reactivation training workshop for party operatives looking to identify Democrats who have missed the last federal elections and reengage them.

Saturday, the architect’s daughter attended the Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival with Rep. Joshua P. Riley, who represents N.Y.-19.

Sunday, she headlined the “Students vs. Billionaires” event at Cornell University, despite her 2018 donations from billionaires Tom Steyer and Timothy Mellon.

The tour wrapped up Monday with her supporting the Working Families Party and the local Democratic Socialists of America's participation in the Project Reactivation.

Governor Kathy Hochul said she would join AOC on her tour, but it seems she did not; that is not significant, especially after the congresswoman donated $300,000 to the state party’s get-out-the-vote effort.

Besides, Hochul could be Blakeman by 20 points, despite some polls very generous to the Republican nominee.

This is not to say Schumer has been a recluse.

While he has not committed to running in 2028, the senator visited Plattsburgh Sept. 4, and Sept. 8 he visited Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Piseco. He also maintains he will continue his practice of visiting all 62 counties annually.

The difference is that AOC is supporting Democrats and their leftwing allies, the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America — all focused on Democratic voter turnout.

Others might be concentrating on winning back the House and flipping seven Republican House seats, but Ocasio-Cortez is instead expanding her statewide appeal and introducing herself to Democrats who have only read about her.