The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are reportedly plotting a bold 2028 strategy: elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez president, and replace Chuck Schumer with radical leftist Brooklyn Councilman Chi Ossé in the Senate. The plan surfaced at a DSA event in Kingston, New York, where Ossé himself declined to rule out running.
Ossé visited Buffalo and Kingston this week at a “Take Our Power Back” Mid-Hudson Valley DSA event held at Kingston’s Unicorn Bar. At the event, he said: “I think the era of wait-your-turn politics is over.” And: “The time for us, the socialists, is right now.”
The DSA’s blueprint would put two of its most controversial figures at the top of the ticket. Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, would run for president, while Ossé would challenge Schumer in New York’s Senate race.
Ossé’s Senate Ambitions
When asked by Hell Gate about a possible Senate run, Ossé declined to deny it. Instead, he said: “I don’t believe that our current Democratic leadership is standing up to the plate.” And: “A lot of people are calling for change.”
His path to the Senate has been rocky. Last year, Ossé dropped a congressional bid after challenging House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a primary. Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged the party to kill Ossé’s bid, causing a “civil war,” though the two have reportedly mended their relationship.
Ossé’s political positions are far from moderate. He has called Israel a “terror state,” said an Italian-named landscaping firm was a “red flag,” and bragged about knocking over a “Jesus worshipper” in the subway. His comments have drawn attention from outside the DSA.
“He’s a stone-cold antisemite, he won’t do well with the Jews — they’ll raise money against him. So will other people in business who don’t think he’s very good. He’s a bigot.”
That quote comes from veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who told The Post that Ossé’s history will hurt him. Sheinkopf added: “Statewide races are tough, they’re entirely different than working in the city.” And: “He’s testing it out. . . . It’s like a trial balloon — you throw it up in the air and if nobody shoots it down, you know you have some possibilities. That’s what he’s doing.”
The Egg-Freezing Announcement
Ocasio-Cortez herself has weighed in on the timing. In May, Ossé said “Woke 1 was crazyyyy” in defense of his 2021 remark that “a cis white man should not be the next speaker of the council.” Last month, AOC repeated the phrase while announcing she was freezing her eggs. “During lockdown, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today,” she said.
Shrestha’s Criticism of Schumer
Hudson Valley State Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha, a member of the Mid-Hudson DSA, spoke at the Tuesday event and directly challenged Schumer. “We really need socialists leading the fight against big tech because I don’t trust moderate Democrats to do it,” she said.
Shrestha also told Hell Gate that AOC’s run is not a rumor anymore. “I think it’s not even a rumor,” she said. “DSA is openly trying to convince AOC that she should run.”
Shrestha added that AOC reportedly broke up with fiancé Riley Roberts over her ambitions. “In some ways, she would be ruining her personal life forever,” Shrestha said. “I think it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.”
Ossé’s Education and Connections
Ossé’s background is as unusual as his politics. He attended the posh private Friends Seminary school in the East Village. He hobnobs with celebrities like rapper Ice Spice and actress Jemima Kirke.
His family includes an entertainment lawyer who represented Jay-Z and a Grammy-winning record producer. The connections have not stopped him from being a vocal critic of the establishment.
Ossé’s confrontational style has made him a lightning rod in local politics.
The DSA’s National Position
The DSA’s national organization did not respond to requests for comment from The Post. Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer also did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
What Comes Next
The DSA’s blueprint is reported, not confirmed. A presidential run from Ocasio-Cortez would be a major test for the party. A Senate run from Ossé would be a major test of the party’s electoral strategy.
Sheinkopf’s framing of the Senate bid as a “trial balloon” suggests the DSA is gauging public reaction before committing resources. If no one shoots it down, the party may move forward. If the backlash is strong, the plan could collapse.
The blueprint is ambitious, and it is reported, not confirmed. But the signals are clear. The DSA is positioning itself as the party of the future, and it is willing to risk controversy to get there.
Whether Ossé can overcome his baggage is the question. Whether Ocasio-Cortez can balance her ambitions with her personal life is another. The 2028 election cycle will be a long one, and this blueprint is only the beginning.
The DSA’s plan is a bet on two politicians who have proven they are willing to upset the status quo. Whether that bet pays off remains to be seen.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s disclosure of safety failures she hid and Chi Ossé’s narrow rules against direct harm, and is against the DSA’s broader plan to replace Chuck Schumer with Ossé, which risks handing the Senate to the incumbents. The DSA’s blueprint puts two of its most controversial figures at the top of the ticket, and the paper sees the risk clearly: a Senate candidate with a history of offensive remarks and a president who froze her eggs in response to criticism are a heavy burden to carry.
The DSA’s strategy treats the Senate seat as a prize for the radicals, and the paper is wary of any arrangement that hands control to a few established interests. Narrow rules against direct harm, like forcing companies to disclose safety failures they concealed, are the kind the paper supports; broad plans that favor the insiders are the kind it opposes. Ossé’s record raises questions about whether he can win statewide, and the DSA appears to be treating the Senate bid as a trial balloon rather than a serious commitment.
Readers should keep an eye on how the DSA’s national organization responds to the plan. The organization did not answer The Post’s requests for comment, but the signals from Shrestha and the event itself suggest the party is seriously considering both candidates. The 2028 election cycle will be long, and this blueprint is only the beginning.
Key Facts Box
- The DSA is reportedly planning to run Ossé for Schumer’s Senate seat in 2028.
- Ocasio-Cortez would run for president.
- Ossé declined to deny a Senate run when asked by Hell Gate.
- Shrestha told Hell Gate that AOC’s run is not a rumor.
- Sheinkopf called Ossé a “stone-cold antisemite” who won’t do well with Jewish voters.
The blueprint is ambitious, and it is reported, not confirmed. But the signals are clear. The DSA is positioning itself as the party of the future, and it is willing to risk controversy to get there.
Whether Ossé can overcome his baggage is the question. Whether Ocasio-Cortez can balance her ambitions with her personal life is another. The 2028 election cycle will be a long one, and this blueprint is only the beginning.
The DSA’s plan is a bet on two politicians who have proven they are willing to upset the status quo. Whether that bet pays off remains to be seen.
Source material: “DSA blueprint for 2028: Elect AOC president — and reportedly replace Chuck Schumer with radical leftist Chi Ossé,” the New York Post.
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