AOC has an early lead over Schumer in the New York Senate Democratic primary

In a new poll, “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) leads Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) by double digits for a 2028 New York Senate matchup.

According to a Politico poll released on Friday, 55% of likely Democratic voters favor the progressive rising star, while only 36% support the longtime Senate leader. According to a survey conducted by the left-wing firm Data for Progress, nine percent are still undecided. The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.

Whispers of a primary run against Schumer surfaced a few weeks ago, after the Senate minority leader supported a GOP-led government funding bill to keep the government from shutting down, infuriating his party’s base. A few members urged the longtime leader to step down and encouraged Ocasio-Cortez to launch a bid against him in 2028.

Schumer, 74, has long been a fixture in New York politics. He began in the New York State Assembly in 1975, then moved on to the House to represent New York’s 9th Congressional District, eventually rising to become the Democratic caucus leader in the upper chamber. For decades, the senator has been a household name in New York.

Ocasio-Cortez was among the first Democrats to speak out against Schumer, telling CNN, “I believe that’s a tremendous mistake.”

“I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill,” she wrote in reference to X.

“These games will not fool anyone. It will not trick voters or House members. “People will not forget it,” she added.

The 35-year-old congresswoman has established herself as a strong progressive voice for the Democratic Party and is a frequent presence in political news cycles. As a leading voice in the party, she has faced criticism from the GOP since shocking Congress in 2018 by defeating a Democratic incumbent, Rep. Joe Crowley.

She was a founding member of the Squad, a progressive left-wing group in the House Democratic Party, and has dominated social media in left-wing politics, earning a reputation for herself.

With the 2028 cycle still a long way off, Ocasio-Cortez has made no public decisions about her next move — and four years in politics allows for a great deal of change.

She had already demonstrated a desire to advance in the ranks when she ran for the ranking position on the powerful House Oversight Committee but was ultimately unsuccessful. Schumer has already filed to run for reelection.

Early polling is frequently regarded as untrustworthy because the political climate is constantly changing. If President Donald Trump does not find a way to run for an unconstitutional third term in 2028, he will be absent from the ballot for the first time since 2012. Democrats will still have a long search for their next party leader, as front-runners emerge in the coming years.

Ocasio-Cortez, who represents a predominantly blue district, outperformed almost every House member last cycle, including those in the most competitive seats. She was the seventh-largest fundraiser, raising over $15 million for her massive war chest.

The congresswoman has not been shy about using campaign funds this cycle, spending more than $312,000 on Meta social media ads alone in the last week as she tours the country with longtime progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Schumer was not among the top ten Senate fundraisers the last time he ran for reelection. The senator was the 13th-highest fundraiser, raising more than $41 million for the 2022 midterm election cycle.

The Washington Examiner contacted Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer’s offices but received no response.

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