Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are rallying progressive support on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour of the United States. 

The duo has made eleven stops since March 20 from Nevada to Montana and shows no signs of slowing, according to the tour website. 

Could this be the dawn of the Democratic Party’s next chapter? Since the 2024 election, the party has faced widespread criticism over what many see as an aimless resistance to President Donald Trump’s administration. 

However, the resurgence and amplification of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez’s progressive populist message already have people talking about 2028. It might seem early, but the question stands: Could either figure be the next face of a party in dire need of direction and leadership?

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez aim to capitalize onto the growing pushback against Trump and his policies. So far, the pair has been keen to visit conservative-leaning states or cities, possibly in hopes of connecting with Trump backers who feel “buyer’s regret” as the impacts of his federal job cuts and funding freezes touch their lives, Al Jazeera noted. 

Roughly 20,000 people attended the tour stop in Salt Lake City. Around 12,000 showed up in Nampa, Idaho, and another 9,000 came out in Missoula, Mont. Trump won all three states by 20 percentage points or more in 2024. The largest crowds to date were in Denver and Los Angeles, where 34,000 and 36,000 people packed each house, the most Sanders has ever drawn.

“The people of this country do not want oligarchy. They do not want authoritarianism. They want a government that works for all of us, not just the 1%,” Sanders said as he finished his speech in L.A.

The chances of an AOC/Sanders ticket in 2028

Sanders has made clear that the likelihood of his third presidential bid is low, after his campaigns in 2016 and 2020 fell short of the party nomination. “I am 83 years of age, and I’m tired,” he quipped in an interview with ABC News.

However, he remains committed to his work in the Senate and has filed for reelection in 2030. 

As for Ocasio-Cortez, the picture is a bit murkier. She is 35 years old and therefore eligible, but the bigger question seems to be whether she will want to run. 

“She’s more not focused on running for president than she is uninterested in it,” someone familiar with her thoughts on the matter told Politico. 

There is plenty for the representative to be focused on in the present, as she and her colleagues in the Progressive Caucus work to stop Republican-led budget cuts and policies from reaching the American people. 

“We are watching as our neighbors, students and friends are being fired, targeted and disappeared,” Ocasio-Cortez said during her speech in Missoula. “Know that a better world is possible, and we are willing to do something about it.” 

Still, many see the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour as an intentional handoff of the progressive mantle from Sanders to her, though both leaders have rejected that portrayal. 

Some also worry that their coalition pushes the party too far to the left and has helped Trump win over moderates. Others rebuke that the Democratic Party moderating is what lost working-class voters in the first place, according to Axios.

If she did run for president, though, early polling suggests that she would have support. She placed second in a mock Democratic primary survey released last week from Yale University. She received 21.3% of votes, which only trailed behind former Vice President Kamala Harris, who received 27.5%. Pete Buttigieg came in third with 14%, according to the study.

A hypothetical ballot for the right was also tested. Vice President JD Vance polled highest, but only when the president was not included. When Trump, who has mentioned attempting a third term, was listed on the mock ballot, he took the majority vote. 

In any case, Ocasio-Cortez co-hosting the nationwide tour has given her a major fundraising boost, which will come in handy for any future campaigns, presidential or otherwise. She has begun the reelection process for her current seat in 2026, but could also pursue Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat in 2028, Axios explained.

Above all, the tour has kept her at the forefront of the Democratic Party’s rising stars, which also include Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Texas) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Black Voice News noted after the Democratic National Convention last August.

The 2028 presidential picture will undoubtedly change over the next 3 years. But the past month of sold-out rallies may have offered a sneak peek into at least one potential candidate’s messaging and campaign. 

“Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets,” Ocasio-Cortez affirmed during the convention, according to TANTV.

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