Radical Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is distancing herself from a growing far-left effort to mount a primary challenge against House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Ocasio-Cortez’s response is signaling a rift inside the party’s progressive wing as activists target one of its most powerful figures.
The dust-up began after leftist New York City Council member Chi Osse, a close ally of socialist NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, filed paperwork for a 2026 primary campaign against Jeffries.
Like Mamdani and Osse, AOC is a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
