Renewed Membership After Seven-Year Lapse
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has renewed her membership with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) following a seven-year lapse. Her rejoining coincides with the growing national profile of the organization. Despite the lapse, Ocasio-Cortez remained closely aligned with DSA, which continued to praise her and refer to her as a member.
A statement from DSA confirmed her membership status. “Democratic Socialists of America confirms Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member in good standing of our organization, having recently rejoined in August 2026,” as shared with City & State New York. The representative initially joined DSA with a one-year membership in 2018. The organization noticed the lapse in 2019 and she has now renewed her membership.
Potential Presidential Contender
Ocasio-Cortez, viewed as a potential contender for the 2028 presidential election, rejoined DSA amid its momentum from recent Democratic primary victories, including wins against several incumbents.
While she previously described herself as a member of DSA’s New York City chapter, she was not part of the national organization, leading DSA leaders to review her membership status. DSA discovered the lapse after this description. At the time of her initial membership, renewals had to be manual; however, the organization has now moved to automatic renewals.
Reactions and Speculation
The renewal of her membership has sparked various reactions. Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle humorously commented on X, “This is LOL in a gently humorous way rather than LOL in a mean way.” Others, however, cast doubt on the timing of her renewal. A user questioned whether the renewal coincided intentionally with the DSA’s increased popularity and organizational power.
Some took this occasion to jest about Ocasio-Cortez’s renewed membership. Byrne Hobart remarked about past communist circles’ jokes regarding FBI agents always paying dues on time. Furthermore, economist Wojtek Kopczuk commented, “Inexcusable for a DSA member to pay rent.”
DSA Endorsement Debate
The Washington Post noted that DSA faces internal debate over making a 2028 presidential endorsement, with Ocasio-Cortez at the center of discussions. Despite her ties, the organization did not finalize any endorsement decision.
As the debates continue, Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.