Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) early lead in New Hampshire over more moderate rivals signals the growing influence of far-left socialism within the Democratic Party.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has topped a New Hampshire Democrat primary poll, narrowly leading former Biden government Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, emerged as the favored Democrat candidate for President, with 22 percent support. Pete Buttigieg came in a close second with 21 percent. Meanwhile, Democrat Governor of California Gavin Newsom polled in a distant fourth, on eight percent, one point behind Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) on nine percent. Failed 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris is polling in sixth place, on five percent, behind Bernie Sanders, who will be 87 years old during the November 2028 presidential election, on six percent. Significantly, a separate Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows that Vice President J.D. Vance is more popular than AOC. The poll similarly revealed that Governor Newsom was trailing other candidates. 🎯 IMPACT: New Hampshire holds significant weight in the presidential primaries. As one of the earliest states in the primary process, candidates who do well in New Hampshire gain early-race momentum. AOC’s lead underscores the growing influence of far-left socialism within the Democratic Party. This follows a comment from Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) encouraging the Democrats to embrace the term “socialist.” The minimum age to run for President is 35-years-old. Having previously been ineligible to run for President, come 2028, AOC will be old enough to stand as a candidate. Given the sizeable support the New York Representative has garnered, it is possible that polls such as these encourage her to pursue the nomination. However, given that AOC only has a narrow lead, closely followed by Buttigieg, who is viewed as more moderate, such findings could also indicate a growing rift within the Democrats over whether to turn leftward following their crushing defeat to President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 Presidential election. |
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