“Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) leads a new poll against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) by double digits for a 2028 New York Senate matchup.

A poll reported by Politico on Friday shows 55% of likely Democratic voters lean toward supporting the progressive rising star, whereas just 36% lean toward the longtime Senate leader. Nine percent remain undecided, according to a survey by the left-wing firm Data for Progress. The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus four percentage points. 

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Whispers of a primary run against Schumer came a few weeks back after the Senate minority leader backed a GOP-led government funding bill to keep the government from shutting down, in turn, infuriating his party’s base. A handful of members called on the longtime leader to step down and encouraged Ocasio-Cortez to start a bid against him for 2028. 

Schumer, 74, has long been a staple in New York politics. He began in the New York State Assembly in 1975, went on to serve in the House for New York’s 9th Congressional District, and later rose to leader of the upper chamber’s Democratic caucus. The senator has remained a New York household name for decades. 

Ocasio-Cortez was one of the first Democrats to speak out against Schumer, saying on CNN, “I believe that’s a tremendous mistake.

“I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill,” she added on X.

“Those games won’t fool anyone. It won’t trick voters, it won’t trick House members. People will not forget it,” she continued.

The 35-year-old congresswoman has established herself as a strong progressive voice for the Democratic Party and is a near-constant presence in political news cycles. As a leading voice in the party, since she shocked Congress in 2018 by beating a Democratic incumbent, Rep. Joe Crowley, she has also attracted a lot of flack from the GOP. She was an original member of the Squad, a progressive left-wing group in the House Democratic Party, and has dominated social media in left-wing politics, creating a name for herself. 

With the 2028 cycle a long way away, Ocasio-Cortez has made no public decisions on what her next move will be — and four years in politics allows for a lot of change. She had already shown signs of wanting to move up in the ranks when she ran to be the ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee but ultimately failed. Schumer already filed to run for reelection.

Early polling is often deemed unreliable as the political climate is rapidly changing. The 2028 presidential cycle will be the first since 2012 that President Donald Trump will not be on the ballot, assuming he does not find a way to run for an unconstitutional third term. Democrats still have a long search for their next party leader as frontrunners begin to emerge over the next couple of years.

Ocasio-Cortez, who represents a solidly blue district, massively outraised almost every House member last cycle, including those in the most competitive seats. She was the seventh-highest fundraiser, bringing in over $15 million for her massive war chest. 

The congresswoman has not shied away from using campaign funds this cycle, spending more than $312,000 this past week alone on Meta social media ads as she tours the country with longtime progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

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Schumer was not in the top ten fundraisers for the Senate last time he was up for reelection. The senator was the 13th-highest fundraiser, bringing in over $41 million for the 2022 midterm election cycle. 

The Washington Examiner contacted both Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer’s offices but did not receive comment.