A spokesperson for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) all but ruled out a primary challenge against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) as the Democratic field for her Senate seat clears up.
“She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024. She is not planning to primary Gillibrand,” an Ocasio-Cortez spokesperson told Politico.
For months, the specter of an Ocasio-Cortez primary challenge against Gillibrand loomed large. A darling among progressives and a fundraising juggernaut, Ocasio-Cortez was widely seen as a formidable challenger. A slew of progressive operatives sought to court her into the race.
The congresswoman dangled the notion of running in an interview published earlier this month.
“Don’t ask me that question … print that,” she previously said. “There’s a world where I’m here for a long time in this seat, in this position. There’s a world where I’m not an elected official anymore. There’s a world where … I may be in higher office.”
Now that the congresswoman is seemingly opting not to mount a challenge, Gillibrand’s pathway to a fourth Senate victory has gotten considerably easier. Other top potential challengers such as former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) as well as Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) are also declining to challenge her, Politico reported.
One possible prominent contender who has been floated is former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), who resigned in 2021 amid a sexual misconduct scandal.
Speculation about Ocasio-Cortez running for the Senate also loomed larger during the early days of the 2022 cycle. She was rumored to be mulling a run against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the prospect of her doing so was credited with some of his tacks to the left on various policy debates.
Ultimately, she declined to primary him. In the time since, the 33-year-old congresswoman has climbed the ranks in the upper chamber, serving as the vice-ranking member on the Oversight Committee and forging bonds with members of the Democratic caucus.
A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez did not return a request for comment. Gillibrand announced plans to vie for reelection earlier this year.
New York Democrats have been keen on licking their wounds and mounting a comeback after a slew of upset defeats in congressional races last cycle. They suffered four high-profile defeats following redistricting upheaval.
Now, the party is backing a lawsuit begging the courts to give them a redo on apportionment and mounting campaigns targeting Republicans in vulnerable seats. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee recently acknowledged setbacks in traditionally blue states last cycle in its “Path to the Majority” plan.
