DSA rejects member poll as AOC endorsement fight turns acrimonious

The Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee rejected an all-member poll on a potential 2028 presidential endorsement in a 14-13 vote. The organization is still sending surveys to all of its roughly 250 chapters, asking members whom DSA should back in 2028 and why, with chapter submissions due Sept. 15.

DSA leaders had already laid out a process that pointed toward a formal endorsement vote at the 2027 national convention, although that timetable could move sooner if the presidential primary calendar demands it. It had more than 120,000 members as of July 2026. The dispute now centers on whether to preserve a deliberate, member-driven process or to use an early endorsement to try to put a socialist candidate on the 2028 presidential debate stage.

Groundwork, a DSA caucus, has pushed for a national member survey and urged the group to “endorse AOC on day one.” Groundwork says an early endorsement would give DSA a more influential role in 2028 and help it build power for socialism. It has run into leaders who want the organization to keep the endorsement process broad enough to reflect the views of chapters from across the country.

Ocasio-Cortez has not said whether she will run for president in 2028. DSA leaders have made clear that they want one of their own on the 2028 primary debate stage. The relationship between Ocasio-Cortez and DSA has already been strained before. In June 2024, the National Political Committee voted to endorse her conditionally, tying backing to requirements that included opposing all funding to Israel and supporting BDS. The group withdrew that national endorsement in July 2024 over her positions on Palestine and other Israel-related issues, while leaving her New York City chapter endorsement intact.