How AOC and Ro Khanna’s midterm endorsements could influence the Democratic Party
Both are widely viewed as potential 2028 presidential contenders.
Progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ro Khanna of California are flexing their political muscle in this year's midterm elections, and the candidates they've chosen to back reveal the very different political strategies each is building toward a possible run for higher office.
Their endorsements could plot a winning midterm strategy for Democrats and strengthen relationships across different factions. They also can be viewed as a sign of flexing their political strength -- all but one of the six House candidates Ocasio-Cortez endorsed advanced in their primaries.
Beyond being viewed as presidential contenders, Khanna and Ocasio-Cortez are closely watched figures on the left, but their endorsement strategies differ noticeably.
Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most recognizable Democrats in the country, has endorsed sparingly. Khanna has done the opposite, backing more than 30 candidates in a bid to build his own national profile.
Faiz Shakir, a chief adviser to independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, said that both Khanna and Ocasio-Cortez look for candidates who differentiate themselves with an agenda focused on the working class, but Ocasio-Cortez tends to endorse later, once a candidate has built grassroots momentum in their district.
“AOC … has generally been wanting to come in later in the process at some point when she feels like a candidate has done the work and built something that is generating success on the ground,” Shakir said.
Ocasio-Cortez, who may be eyeing a House leadership role or Senate bid, has stayed out of key New York City-area House races, unlike Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sanders, who are backing insurgents trying to oust incumbents. But she has endorsed primary challengers to sitting state legislators, compared to Mamdani, who declined to endorse in some of those races.
"It's a sense of a strategy around how she wants to deal with the leadership of the House and the preferences of [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries and so many other leaders within that body with whom she is trying to cultivate some support ... this is somebody who I think is on the cusp of potentially earning a higher place within leadership," Shakir said.
Ocasio-Cortez's team did not respond to a request for comment on her endorsement strategy.
Khanna shared his thinking behind his endorsement strategy with ABC News.
"I wanted to help voices that were trying to break in, and I fundamentally believe this party needs a new generation of voices," Khanna said. I mean, [the Democratic Party] allowed for Donald Trump to win twice. That's the definition of failure."
Jeff Weaver, Sanders' 2016 campaign manager and now an adviser to Khanna, told ABC News that Khanna focuses on two goals: backing like-minded candidates and strengthening Democratic opposition to Trump.
"He's also looking to build a Democratic power to help stem the advance of Trump and Trump's far-right, extreme agenda," Weaver said.
Khanna's endorsements reflect this strategy, spanning the Democratic spectrum and including Senate candidates such as Josh Turek, Roy Cooper, Graham Platner and Abdul El-Sayed.
"It helps [Khanna] build relationships and bridges across the various wings of the party, which is again important," Weaver said later in the interview.
Khanna discussed his support for Platner, which he described as one of his more controversial endorsements and which came before The New York Times published reports alleging that Platner had sent sexually explicit text messages to multiple women and that some former girlfriends found his behavior "intimidating and disturbing." Khanna said he told Platner his actions were "toxic" and "wrong", but said he "accepted accountability."
Asked whether he believes his endorsement of Platner will hurt him in the future, Khanna said he doesn't think a single endorsement will make or break him.
"I endorsed him because of his clear stance on genocide, clear stance against foreign wars, a military veteran willing to speak out against war," Khanna said.
Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, has been more particular in the races she's weighed in on, but has seen the candidates she's endorsed beat establishment Democrats in competitive primaries across the country.
That was the case for Dr. Adam Hamawy, who won a crowded Democratic primary for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, and told ABC News he was in talks with Ocasio-Cortez's team for months, giving updates on his campaign's progress as "she doesn't endorse very easily."
"Her endorsement was really helpful because it made people pay attention," Hamawy said. "When AOC comes in and endorses, she's really validating that the candidate has the support on the ground ... that they've done their homework and really stand for the values that she also values."
Saikat Chakrabarti, Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff who unsuccessfully ran to replace Nancy Pelosi in California, consistently referenced his experience working for her during his campaign, but failed to secure her endorsement.
Chakrabarti told ABC News that, while campaigning, voters cited his lack of her endorsement as a reason not to trust him.
"The turning point in the race really was AOC choosing not to endorse, and I don't blame her for that at all ... unfortunately our opponents really used that to paint me as not credible and not trustworthy," Chakrabarti said.
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