A poll conducted by Honan Strategy Group for the Jewish Voters Action Network between May 15 and 18 found that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, would decisively defeat Senator Chuck Schumer, 74 in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary, leading by a smashing 21-point margin. The poll shows AOC leads Schumer by 54% to 33% among likely Democratic voters in New York City. Her support cuts across demographic lines, including among Jewish Democratic voters, where she holds a 45% to 33% lead, with 17% undecided.
The poll, which involved 1,136 Democratic voters, has a margin of error of ±2.89 percentage points.
Needless to say, these numbers are troubling for Senator Schumer, who is as Jewish as they come and has relied on Jewish voters as his core base of support throughout his five-decade political career. Losing ground among Jews to a rising star in the party who isn’t even Jewish marks a serious blow for the much older Senate Minority Leader. His only consolation, for now, is that he isn’t up for reelection until November 2028.
File this under “How bad is it for Chuck?” – AOC is more popular than Senator Schumer among New York Jews despite her hostility toward the Jewish State.
On July 18, 2023, AOC was one of nine progressive Democrats—including Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Andre Carson, Summer Lee, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, and Rashida Tlaib—who voted against a non-binding congressional resolution introduced by Representative August Pfluger (R-TX). The resolution affirmed that “the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state,” condemned “all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia,” and declared that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.”
AOC criticized the resolution, arguing that it was inappropriate to conflate accusations of antisemitism with legitimate concerns about the human rights situation in Israel. She called the pairing of a vote on antisemitism with a discussion of apartheid and the supposed “two-tier legal systems” a “very cynical” move.
AOC condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, describing it as “horrifying attacks against innocent civilians.” However, less than one week later, on October 12, she criticized Israel’s decision to cut off electricity, water, and fuel to Gaza, calling it “collective punishment and a violation of international law.” It’s not, of course. Four days later, on October 16, she signed a congressional resolution calling for a ceasefire and an IDF withdrawal from the Gaza war.
By March 22, 2024, Ocasio-Cortez went further, describing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide.” She also called for a halt to U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.
And yet, she beat Chuck Schumer in this poll that was conducted among New York Jews.
Interesting point: Last July, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) withdrew its endorsement of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, criticizing her for what they described as inadequate support for the “Palestinian” cause and efforts to end the war in Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the group singled out AOC’s co-sponsorship of an event with Jewish leaders aimed at combating antisemitism, calling it a “deep betrayal.”
The congresswoman has been distancing herself from what she sees as a self-defeating push for ideological purity within the American left. She argues that such an approach undermines the ability to achieve meaningful progress—whether on Israel or domestic issues—without expanding the movement’s appeal and building broader political power.
In my opinion, if she wins the Senate seat, she could continue in Barack Obama’s footsteps and turn a one-term stint as senator into a presidential nomination. And then y’all will have to vote Republican…
