Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has long been one of the most well-known elected officials affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), her membership in the organization lapsed in 2019 and went unrenewed until August, the group said this week. The renewal comes as the New York lawmaker has drawn attention as a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election. Her confirmed membership also comes as progressive and democratic socialist candidates have recorded a series of high-profile victories ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, underscoring the progressive flank’s growing appeal for Democratic voters.
This summer, New York DSA-backed candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier won congressional primaries, while other progressive candidates, like Melat Kiros, scored notable victories in races across the country. The timing of the renewal has some fueled speculation about Ocasio-Cortez's political future, particularly as discussions about the 2028 presidential race begin to ramp up. DSA said in a statement obtained by City & State New York, “While it is atypical for DSA to address the membership status of individuals, ongoing discussions about the 2028 presidential campaign have prompted this release.” In mid-August, Ocasio-Cortez told Jonathan Karl on ABC’s This Week that she was a member of the New York City DSA chapter, not the national DSA organization.
Matt Klink, owner and president of Klink Campaigns, told Newsweek in an email, "The timing of her renewal, right as various DSA chapters float her for 2028 and the national organization gears up its endorsement process isn't a coincidence. It's a rebrand." He continued, "AOC realizes that her lane to the nomination begins in the far left lane. Nothing clarifies priorities like a presidential calendar." Newsweek has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s press team as well as the national DSA and New York chapters for comment via email on Thursday.
Ocasio-Cortez signed up for a one-year national DSA membership in 2018 as she mounted her first bid for Congress. Her annual membership expired the following year and it was not renewed until just recently. At that time, memberships had to be renewed manually.
Now, the DSA national chapter offers monthly memberships from $5 to $50 a month, or annual fees from $27 to $200. In a statement to DSA members that was then shared with City & State New York, the DSA said Ocasio-Cortez's membership had expired several years earlier: “Previously, the representative joined DSA in 2018 with a one-year membership, which DSA’s national leadership recently noticed had lapsed, in 2019. She has since renewed her membership as of this month.” They added that she is “in good standing of our organization.” The DSA has repeatedly referred to her as a member throughout those seven years, highlighting her 2020 reelection by referring to her as a “DSA member” in an X post and in a 2024 post, describing her and then-Representative Cori Bush as “DSA members.” In an August 9 interview with Karl, he asked Ocasio-Cortez if she was still a DSA member, which she replied, “of the New York City chapter.
Yes.” She added, “So, every DSA chapter is formed locally. And so, the New York City DSA chapter, those are folks that you know. It’s my—it’s kind of like your local union chapter.” Klink told Newsweek that Ocasio-Cortez got "caught" claiming the affiliation, and the ABC interview "made the lapse impossible to explain away." He added, "AOC's socialist brand suggests the 'membership' was more useful as a label than a commitment." The DSA's national organization establishes the group's overall political direction, while its local chapters maintain some autonomy and organize campaigns and make decisions that may not always align with the national body.
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