AOC taps power player who helped Bernie Sanders defy the odds as major 2028 decision looms
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is tapping a key player behind Bernie Sanders' presidential fundraising operation as speculation swirls over whether the left-wing Democrat could launch her own White House bid in 2028.
Key points
- AOC is close with Sanders, and if she decides to run for president, progressives say, she would be able to quickly staff up with his former advisers.
- Why it matters: The overhaul comes as the democratic socialist leader is debating whether to run for president in 2028 — or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's seat, which is up the same year.
- Middle Seat, the firm AOC is leaving, has Sanders roots as well: It was founded by alumni of the Vermont senator's 2016 campaign.
She has now tapped Aisle 518 Strategies, the firm led by Democratic strategist Tim Tagaris, who helped drive Sanders' record-breaking online fundraising operations during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, according to Axios.
Additional details
- The Washington Sun reported this week that AOC had hired Freeland Ellis, a Sanders alum, as a communications aide.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is shaking up her team for the second time in the past few months as she prepares to make the biggest decision of her political life.
- Zoom in: Ocasio-Cortez has parted ways with her longtime digital fundraising firm, Middle Seat, according to three people familiar with the decision.
- Tagaris' firm has helped power the small-dollar fundraising operation for California Gov.
- It also has worked with other Democrats who are potential contenders for president — Arizona Sen.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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