Jeffries on Ocasio-Cortez: “The sky’s the limit” for 2028

House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says “the sky’s the limit” for his colleague Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has admitted she is considering a presidential run in 2028, in an interview for the newspaper USA Today.

Jeffries said he is not ready to pick a favorite for 2028: “I think it is going to be a big field. We are going to have excellent candidates. Maybe one or two from the House, we will see.” He praised Ocasio-Cortez: “Alex has done a tremendous job advocating for a range of issues of great importance to New Yorkers and to the nation alike.”

Ocasio-Cortez, 36, is weighing whether to seek the presidency or the Senate seat that Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, 75, has held since 1999. She has just finished a listening tour in upstate New York, fueling speculation that she could challenge Schumer, who has repeatedly drawn the anger of progressives.

In polling, Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a 66% favorable rating among New York Democrats, compared with Schumer’s 56%, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. In the national race for the Democratic presidential nomination, she took 12% in a late-September Harvard-Harris poll — behind Kamala Harris (38%) and Gavin Newsom (17%), but ahead of Pete Buttigieg (11%).

Asked whether Schumer should run again and whether Ocasio-Cortez should challenge him, Jeffries said he is staying “in his lane” as leader of the House Democrats. His focus, he said, is winning control of the House in the November midterm elections. For the party’s presidential race, he predicted a “robust discussion” that will enable Democrats “to finish the job in November 2028.”