The hosts of ABC’s The View believe Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 2028 presidential front-runner after a new Granite State Poll from the University of New Hampshire showed the New York Democrat leading the pack of preferred candidates.
“I’ve long thought that AOC is a potential front-runner for 2028. I’ve said it before on the show. Her support in this New Hampshire poll is actually even higher than it shows,” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said during the “Hot Topics” segment Thursday.
Co-host Joy Behar weighed in, saying, “I like her very much, but the only time Donald Trump ever won was when he was running against two women. When he ran against a guy he lost, and you know there’s a lot of low testosterone guys out there like [War Secretary] Pete Hegseth, who will not vote for a woman. They don’t want to see a powerful woman in that position for some reason.”
The new poll shows Ocasio-Cortez garnered 22% support, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg behind her at 21% and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) at 9%. Last fall, Buttigieg led the field with 19% support, followed by Newsom at 15%, and Ocasio-Cortez at 14%. In February, Buttigieg was in the lead, advancing to 20%, while Ocasio-Cortez and Newsom were tied at 15%.
Ocasio-Cortez has not launched a campaign, but among Democratic primary voters, 22% said they would support her.
Co-host Sunny Hostin pointed to Ocasio-Cortez’s platform and her focus on key issues as the reason for her strong support: “I think it’s less about AOC and more about the platform that a lot of people are encouraged by. Her key issues are Medicare for all, housing as a human right, justice for workers and small businesses, elevate public education, women’s rights, support the LGBTQIA community. I think those are things most people can get behind.”
AOC PICKS UP STEAM WHILE VANCE LOSES GROUND TO RUBIO: NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL
Hostin noted that while Ocasio-Cortez has strong support, voters should pay closer attention to the substance behind her platform, emphasizing the importance of the midterm elections.
“I think that’s what’s driving a lot of this talk about her, but let’s face it, we need to talk about the midterms. That’s what we should be focused on. That’s her point, we’ve got to get this country back on track, man. Democrats need a net gain of just four seats to flip control of the Senate, and that’s what we should be looking at,” Hostin said.