Eight years after bursting onto the national stage by ousting then-House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a shocking primary upset, Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's political options look brighter than ever.The four-term progressive firebrand from New York City, who on Tuesday easily crushed two primary challengers in her own race for renomination, is eyeing a potential 2028 bid for the White House or to challenge longtime Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.And the sweeping victories by three far-left congressional candidates backed by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the party establishment appear to be giving the 36-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, better known by her nickname AOC, even more political clout.LEFTWARD LURCH: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES TOPPLE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENTSen.
Bernie Sanders, Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and then-New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani react on stage during a "New York is Not For Sale" rally at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York City, on Oct.
26, 2025.(Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)"AOC has built a political brand that certainly has staying power," Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive champion Sen.
Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital."Her influence has grown exponentially since defeating Crowley."Ocasio-Cortez, who teamed up with Sanders last year on the senator's ongoing coast-to-coast "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, appears to be in position to inherit the 84-year-old senator's political mantle.Sanders joined Mamdani in backing socialist candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who narrowly topped incumbent Democrat Adriano Espaillat, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair and the first Dominican American elected to the U.S.
House.They also supported state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, another socialist who defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso by more than 20 points in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep.Nydia Velaz...