Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) renewed her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America this month after the organization discovered she had not formally been a member for nearly seven years.
Ocasio-Cortez initially joined the DSA in 2018, the year she shocked the political establishment by defeating longtime Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in a Democratic primary. But according to the organization, her one-year membership expired in 2019 and was never renewed until August 2026.
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“Democratic Socialists of America confirms Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member in good standing of our organization, having recently rejoined in August 2026,” the group said in a statement to members Tuesday night that was first reported by City & State.
“Previously, the representative joined DSA in 2018 with a one-year membership, which DSA’s national leadership recently noticed had lapsed, in 2019,” the statement reads. “She has since renewed her membership as of this month.”
The revelation is notable because the DSA itself repeatedly referred to Ocasio-Cortez as a member during the years her membership had apparently lapsed. The organization celebrated her 2020 reelection by congratulating “DSA member @AOC” and again described her as a member in 2024, while praising her vote against legislation that could have resulted in a TikTok ban.
In a statement to its members, the group said it took the unusual step of publicly clarifying Ocasio-Cortez’s membership status because of growing discussion within the organization about a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
“While it is atypical for DSA to address the membership status of individuals, ongoing discussions about the 2028 presidential campaign have prompted this release,” the organization said.
The DSA added that chapters and members have been organizing efforts to draft Ocasio-Cortez into the Democratic presidential primary, making her relationship with the organization relevant to those conversations.
“With chapters and members campaigning to draft Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a potential Presidential Primary candidate, we believe that the status of her membership is essential information for members to have in their deliberations and discussions,” the group said.
Ocasio-Cortez’s renewed membership comes after a sometimes-rocky relationship with the socialist organization. In 2024, the DSA’s national political committee withdrew its conditional endorsement of her reelection, citing disagreements over Israel and Gaza, among other issues.
WHICH POSSIBLE 2028 DEMOCRATIC CONTENDERS COULD BE OPEN TO A DSA ENDORSEMENT?
The congresswoman’s office did not respond to a request to comment.
