New York Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, has publicly discussed her decision to freeze her eggs while keeping open the possibility of seeking higher office in 2028.
Ocasio-Cortez said she made the decision to feel more in control of her life and to encourage wider conversations about women's reproductive health and professional lives.
She has not announced a 2028 presidential campaign but has said her ambition is to “change this country” rather than pursue a particular political title.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, New York Democratic congresswoman, has announced she is freezing her eggs as she is simultaneously facing speculation about her political future and a possible 2028 presidential run. Cortez said the decision is personal and one she had considered/saved for.
She is a New York congresswoman, a leading figure of the Democrats, who answered a question about potentially running for higher office in 2028 by declaring, “My ambition is to change the country.”
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
Cortez is a Democrat representing New York who told ABC News on Sunday (local time) that she has not ruled out running for President or for the US Senate seat currently held by Democrats’ floor leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, in 2028.
She also said that she is freezing her eggs and, “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life.” Cortez said that wants to normalize conversations about what women face in their professional and personal lives, while also highlighting the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.
“In this political environment, where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it’s important for us as leaders to have these conversations,” she said.
Why Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Freezing Her Eggs?
Cortez saw it as a “political risk”- discussing her personal choice so publically, but said that there was a lack of information for women regarding the process. “We are not prepared for our own lives, whether that is in puberty, whether that is in pregnancy, whether that is in perimenopause, menopause ... whether you want to plan to have a family, whether you don’t plan to have children biologically,” she explained in one of her videos.
She noted that women across different fields of work are scrutinized and face different standards about their family status. “Men run for office, or frankly they interview for jobs, and people don’t think in the back of their minds, ‘OK, this guy’s running for office, how old is he? Oh, well, is he going to want to start a family?’” she said, as quoted by Associated Press.
What Has AOC Said About A Possible 2028 Presidential Run?
The Democratic strategist David Axelrod had earlier asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she planned to run for either while he hosted a conversation at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, Guardian reported.
“My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go. Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go,” she responded, adding that she wished to “make decisions from a place of how are we going to change the country”.
She highlighted her signature policies on workers’ rights are forever, women’s rights and living wages. She has therefore left the possibility open without announcing a candidacy.
Does Egg Freezing Mean AOC Is Preparing For A Presidential Run?
Cortez explained that she wants to normalize conversations about what women face, and although she has stopped short of announcing her candidacy, she said that instead of aiming for higher office, “I get to wake up every day and say, ‘How am I going to meet the moment?’” as quoted by Guardian.
She said that such conversations that are fixated on women’s personal decisions are not the same for men. “People don’t go down those rabbit holes and fixate on them for men in terms of their decision the way that they do for women,” Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said, as quoted by People.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is engaged to web developer Riley Roberts. Talking about how she would balance her treatment with her work in politics, she said she planned to take her shots in the green room ere an interview. She also posted a footage of administering a shot to herself and jested, “Don’t be weird about this even though I know all of you will be!”, and after injecting herself, said, “That wasn’t so bad!”
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll taken in April showed support among Democratic voters for former vice-president Kamala Harris at 24%; California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, at 12%; and ex-transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez each at 9%, as per Guardian. This comes amid fresh speculations in her party for the 2028 presidential election.
