New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed skepticism on Wednesday over a poll that showed she held a slight lead over Vice President JD Vance in a hypothetical 2028 presidential matchup, but then jokingly said she “will stomp him” if they were to face off.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment by email after office hours.
Why It Matters
While neither Ocasio-Cortez nor Vance has formally announced a presidential run, both have been widely tipped as possible candidates to take their respective parties into the next election.
That Ocasio-Cortez holds even a slight lead over Vance suggests the 2028 race could be highly competitive, with neither party enjoying a clear advantage, and signals that progressive Democrats remain viable nationally.
What To Know
The New York congresswoman, known as AOC, edged the likely Republican nominee 51 percent to 49 percent in The Argument/Verasight survey released on Tuesday.
However, the result was within the poll’s margin of error, making the two candidates statistically tied. The poll asked voters who they would vote for if the election was contested between the two of them.
Asked by a reporter about the poll and her chances of beating Vance, Ocasio-Cortez laughed and expressed her doubts about what polls can show about an election in 2028.
“You know, these polls three years out…they are what they are,” she said with a shrug. “But let the record show, I will stomp him,” she said with a burst of laugher.
The Argument/Verasight poll found that Vance was more popular among white voters, with 57 percent saying they would vote for him and 43 percent opting for Ocasio-Cortez. But she had a commanding lead among Black (79 percent) and Hispanic voters (64 percent).
There were also gender splits in the polling—54 percent of men would vote for Vance and 56 percent of women for Ocasio-Cortez.
The poll of 1,521 registered voters was conducted from December 5-11. The margin of error was 2.7 percentage points.
Recent hypothetical Democratic primary polls showed Ocasio-Cortez trailing more established figures like former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, indicating she is far from the frontrunner within her own party.
A recent poll assuming hypothetical races between California Governor Gavin Newsom, Vance and Ocasio-Cortez put Newsom ahead with 36 percent of the vote against the vice president and the New York congresswoman tied at 34 percent each.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News’ Sean Hannity earlier this month: “I would say that I’ve thought about what that moment might look like after the midterm elections. But I also…try to put it out of my head and remind myself the American people elected me to do a job right now, and my job is to do it.”
What Happens Next
Candidates are unlikely to announce their presidential plans until after the 2026 midterm elections.
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