During the 2024 election, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) seemed to draw herself closer to the mainstream of the Democratic Party. She campaigned hard for Kamala Harris and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. While AOC first came to prominence as an outsider who won a primary against a longtime incumbent, she has come closer to the party’s establishment over time, even while two members of The Squad lost their primaries this year.
Following the election, AOC ran for a leadership position in the Democratic Party, seeking to become the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. However, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez lost the contest to a veteran Democrat, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). Connolly, who is battling cancer, won a vote of the Democratic Caucus, 131 to 84.
“Again, I think my colleagues were measuring their votes by who’s got experience, who’s seasoned, who can be trusted, who’s capable and who’s got a record of productivity. I think that prevailed,” Gerry Connolly said after the vote, NBC News reported. Per Politico, the vote showed the “limits” of generational change in the Democratic Party.
“I think that there are challenges in totally abandoning the seniority system here, because if seniority is not the rule, money becomes the rule,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) told Politico.
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“Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone – we live to fight another day,” AOC said on her Bluesky account.
Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone – we live to fight another day. ♥️
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc.bsky.social) December 17, 2024 at 12:56 PM
Also weighing in on the vote was Donald Trump, who commented on Truth Social.
“Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party. She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!,” Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Damn you know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me 😂 pic.twitter.com/PWF6LV7PVV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 18, 2024
Another analysis, by The Daily Telegraph, sees the future of the Democratic Party as a battle between AOC and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).
“John Fetterman, an outspoken Pennsylvania senator, has urged Democrats to engage with Mr Trump’s administration and vision for the country, or risk fading into irrelevance,” the Telegraph piece said. “Perhaps sensing the imminent demise of the current party leadership, AOC ingratiated herself with the Democratic establishment during the campaign by appearing in ads for Mr Biden – a man she had previously opposed from the party’s Left wing.”
However, Axios also reported on a possible future leadership bid for AOC.
AOC’s colleagues already floating another leadership bid for her in the near-future https://t.co/tYQWmaDnNX
— Axios (@axios) December 18, 2024
“The view of her is evolving,” Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD told Axios). “She seems to have changed her approach to legislating, and I think she’s figured out how to rock the boat without tipping it over.” Meanwhile, Rep. Hakim Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House, said he expected AOC to job leadership in the near future.
“She’s a huge talent, she’s a value-add to the caucus … I hope she pursues things in the future,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA.), the chair of the House Democratic caucus, also told Axios.
