Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is to campaign across New York ahead of the midterm elections after donating $300,000 to a statewide Democratic effort overseen by Governor Kathy Hochul.
The congresswoman plans to visit Buffalo, Syracuse and Ithaca in the coming weeks, with the aim of improving turnout and supporting Democratic candidates across the state.
“New York has become increasingly relevant to whether we have a majority or not in the House of Representatives,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez said.
Her donation will be directed towards voter organising rather than advertising. She has also stipulated that half of the money should be used for Spanish-language outreach.
The operation, known as a coordinated campaign because it supports candidates for several offices, is being led by Ms Hochul, who is seeking re-election this year. Her spokeswoman, Sarafina Chitika, said it would prioritise communities that were “too often overlooked and written off”.
The contribution is relatively modest for a state as large and expensive as New York, but people familiar with the donation said it was larger than any other contribution from a member of the state’s congressional delegation. Ms Hochul had asked Ms Ocasio-Cortez to provide the money, with discussions continuing for several weeks.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, whose district covers parts of the Bronx and Queens, is one of the Democratic Party’s leading fund-raisers. She has raised more than $32 million since the beginning of 2025 and had $15 million in reserve at the start of the summer.
Her decision to support the Hochul operation comes after previous disagreements with Jay Jacobs, the state Democratic Party chairman. “It’s no secret that I’ve had my criticisms about the Democratic Party in the state in the past,” she said, adding that she felt “more confident” contributing to the effort overseen by Ms Hochul.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez said she would consider her own political future after the midterms. The possibilities include seeking re-election to the House, running for the Senate in New York or pursuing a presidential campaign in 2028.
“I’ve been pretty open about the fact that I’m going to be weighing this decision, but I’m going to be weighing it after the midterm elections,” she said.
During her campaign visits, she wants to draw attention to the risks facing rural hospitals following cuts enacted by congressional Republicans. It has not been decided whether she will appear with House Democrats defending vulnerable seats, including Josh Riley in Central New York.
Tom Suozzi, another New York Democrat in a competitive district on Long Island, has explicitly campaigned against democratic socialists.
Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat who campaigned with Ms Ocasio-Cortez in 2024 when his district was a battleground, praised her as “a stellar team player” and said the donation and planned visits showed her “understanding the moment, taking on even greater leadership”.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez said her intention was simply to support the party where she was needed. “I’m more than happy to go wherever I’m needed,” she said.
