Ted Cruz Says Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Could Win the 2028 Democratic Nomination

Ted Cruz has put Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into the early conversation about the 2028 presidential race, arguing that the New York congresswoman could become the Democratic nominee if a progressive candidate wins a key Senate contest in Michigan. Speaking Wednesday, October 28, while campaigning for Republican Mike Rogers in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Cruz tied his forecast to the race between Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. “If El-Sayed wins, the Democrat nominee for president in 2028 will be AOC,” Cruz said, according to the report. Cruz said Ocasio-Cortez’s critics often argue that her progressive positions would make her too extreme to win a general election. In his view, an El-Sayed victory in a competitive state could weaken that argument by demonstrating that a progressive can succeed in a statewide race. He also warned Republicans against assuming her politics would automatically hand them the presidency. “We’re a divided country,” Cruz said, pointing to Zohran Mamdani’s political success in New York as an example of how elections can produce unexpected results. “Look, if she is the nominee, she could win,” he added. Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a presidential campaign, and the report notes that no prospective candidates have formally entered the 2028 contest. Still, she has drawn attention in early speculation about the Democratic nomination. Prediction-market figures cited in the article placed her among the leading potential contenders, with an average implied chance of 11.8 percent across Polymarket, Kalshi and PredictIt. Vice President J.D. Vance was listed ahead of her, while California Governor Gavin Newsom, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also named among the early prospects. The report also points to caution from Democratic strategist Eddie Vale, who warned against drawing firm conclusions about a presidential race so far in advance. Cruz’s remarks, then, amount to a political forecast rather than evidence that Ocasio-Cortez intends to run. Her next steps remain unannounced, while the Michigan Senate contest serves as the condition Cruz says could shape the party’s direction.