New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani quietly signed a document labeling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “the most viable left contender for president in 2028.” This petition came from the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The group filed the paper back in March to support her reelection to the House. Politico reported the story this week after the document had not been public before. The paper gathered nearly 600 signatures before the group voted to back her for the 2026 midterm elections.
Mamdani is a member of that same socialist group. He signed the “NYC-DSA for AOC” petition even though he did not make a public statement about it at the time. The Washington Examiner contacted his office to confirm the signature. An anonymous adviser told Politico that the mayor joined other DSA officials in signing the paper. This backing for a future presidential run happened while the group tried to strengthen ties with the congresswoman.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a campaign yet. She told ABC News last month that she remains open to the idea of running for the White House. “I haven’t ruled out the possibility,” she said during the interview. She remarked that the tremendous amount of support out there left her “very humbled.” The petition mentions her future plans while focusing on her current job in Congress. Since 2019, she has served in the House and encounters no immediate primary challenge.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has taken a different stance on her potential career moves. In a Truth Social post last month, he celebrated the loss of Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in a Florida primary. He called Vindman a “real treasonous creep” and described the winner as a “Radical Left Lunatic.” Trump said that winner will face defeat at the hands of Sen. Ashley Moody. He called Moody a “truly Fantastic Senator” from the Great State of Florida.
Florida Democratic nominee Angie Nixon received a major boost from AOC recently. Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement saying she is “proud to endorse her” for the U.S. Senate seat. Nixon stated she feels “honored to have the endorsement of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” She added that she looks forward to calling AOC her colleague in November. Nixon faces Moody in the special general election contest this fall.
Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez have worked closely together on other races this year. They gave each other advance notice before endorsing candidates in the June 23 congressional primaries. Mamdani told Ocasio-Cortez he planned to back Darializa Avila Chevalier over Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Ocasio-Cortez informed Mamdani that she intends to back three socialist candidates in the New York State Assembly. Every candidate who was backed by either of them won their primary this summer.
