By Gloria Pazmino, CNN
As discussions swirl around her next steps, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent tour across various parts of New York State, far from her district, offered hints about what a possible statewide or national campaign might entail.
During her trip, she met with local mayors, attended a harvest festival, and participated in a bustling town hall at Cornell University. She teamed up with moderate battleground Democratic Rep. Josh Riley, who narrowly won his last election by three points and connected with her usual supporters in the Democratic Socialists of America.
Ocasio-Cortez is pushing back against the notion that every action she takes should be seen through the lens of a potential Senate or presidential run in 2028, stating to CNN that for now she is focused on winning reelection to the House.
Her supporters view this tour as evidence that she is establishing something more significant than just a congressional presence. Meanwhile, Republicans are leveraging her visit upstate to claim that the Democratic Party is leaning further left.
“She has this ability to draw people. She’s quite charismatic, quite friendly, and people really respond to her, which I saw today on the visit,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan told reporters after her appearance.
“This was my first time doing a public event with her but I observed how people throughout the building responded to her. If you look at how many of my staff showed up … usually they’re not here for press conferences; they’re definitely not here just for me.”
Ryan didn’t specify what he thinks her next political move should be but praised her for motivating a new wave of political activism.
Ocasio-Cortez and the mayor toured City Hall where several eager staffers asked for photos. They also visited Gabriel’s Gate, a beloved Buffalo spot known for its hearty servings of wings and French fries.
The conversation covered topics like municipal governance, the necessity for universal childcare, and how recent tariffs from the Trump administration have negatively impacted some local businesses near Canada.
Diving into an organizer training session at a contemporary art center in Buffalo, attendees discussed strategies to engage voters who have become inactive – those who missed two consecutive federal elections and risk being purged from voter rolls.
This wasn’t Ocasio-Cortez’s first visit to Buffalo; however this time she emphasized bringing awareness about upcoming midterm elections along with plans to mobilize inactive voters throughout New York communities.
“There are inactive voters everywhere in the country and sometimes people put that fault on the voter,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “But I think often it’s due to a government that hasn’t reached out or connected with them to show what can be done for their benefit.”
Her team indicates that they will focus on reengaging inactive Democratic voters statewide – including almost 5,000 in Erie County – an area leaning Democratic yet politically competitive where left-wing candidates have achieved notable victories recently.
Democratic socialist Adam Bojak won his party’s June primary nomination in a three-way contest for Buffalo’s 149th Assembly District and held a private meeting with Ocasio-Cortez.
Bojak’s campaign signals DSA’s growing influence beyond New York City. He secured nearly 50 percent of votes against an establishment-backed candidate after knocking on 25,000 doors while raising six figures from small donations. In August, Ocasio-Cortez rejoined DSA’s chapter in New York City.
“Our policies are extremely popular across the political spectrum,” Bojak told CNN. “It doesn’t matter what letter is next to your name; people know they want universal childcare and healthcare while wanting wealthy individuals taxed more heavily.”
Bojak appears poised to win his general election come November and could become the first DSA member elected from western New York’s State Legislature.
The 14th District represented by Ocasio-Cortez is among America’s bluest areas while places like Buffalo, Syracuse and other upstate regions represent very different political dynamics where Democrats vie for support among working-class communities alongside suburban voters amid ongoing Republican competitiveness.
Ahead of Ocasio-Cortez’s meeting with Buffalo’s mayor earlier today, local Republicans joined moderate Democrats before cameras claiming that progressive elements within their party were gaining excessive traction in western New York – warning their policies often clash with long-standing moderate Democrats living there.
Erie County Republican Chairman Michael Kracker shared his perspective with CNN regarding this rift within Democrats as an opportunity.
“Whether they control New York’s Democratic Party apparatus or not AOC and Zohran Mamdani are today’s ideological leaders within their party,” he stated. “I believe this positions them away from many traditional moderate Democrats which opens avenues for Republicans who want these voices included.”.
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While sidestepping discussions about 2028 ambitions directly during interviews , Ocasio-Cortez did express optimism regarding how effectively her political approach could resonate even among rural populations.
“The whole point of this is not making assumptions about anyone based solely upon geography,”s[s]he remarked..
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