‘My ambition is to change the country,’ AOC says when asked about seeking higher office in 2028

Key Points:

• New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized her primary ambition is to change the country rather than seek higher office, responding to questions about a potential 2028 presidential or Senate run.
• Speaking at a University of Chicago forum, she highlighted her commitment to enduring policy goals such as single-payer healthcare, a living wage, and workers’ and women’s rights over political titles.
• Ocasio-Cortez underscored her approach of making decisions based on current conditions and how to advance progressive change, rather than being attached to specific political positions.
• Her comments come amid early positioning within the Democratic Party for the 2028 presidential nomination, with polls showing her as a notable contender alongside Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and Pete Buttigieg.
• Recently, Ocasio-Cortez also discussed systemic economic and social inequalities, criticizing the concentration of unearned wealth and the challenges of wealth accumulation under the current US system.