Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez jokingly claimed she would “stomp” JD Vance if the two ever squared off in a presidential election.
The congresswoman’s boast came on Wednesday, after Ocasio-Cortez, often referred to as ‘AOC,’ shared polling data showing her narrowly pipping Vance to the presidency in 2028 by a margin of 51 to 49 percent.
The gap is within the margin of error, meaning the pair is statistically tied in the race.
.@PabloReports: Do you think you could beat JD Vance in a head-to-head race for president, as polling suggests?
AOC: I would stomp him. pic.twitter.com/Kvh31kgwbD— Acyn (@Acyn) December 17, 2025
When asked about the poll as she left the Capitol on Wednesday, AOC was initially coy about the numbers—but refused to downplay their significance.
“Listen, these polls like three years out… they are what they are,” she told a reporter who filmed the encounter with a wry smile on her face.
“But let the records show… I would stomp him. I would stomp him!” she added with a laugh, before hopping into a nearby car.
When asked why she shared the polling data nearly three years out from the next election, AOC simply told The Independent, “Because JD Vance is a goober, man.”
As one of the most popular and progressive lawmakers in Congress, AOC’s name has long been in the conversation when discussing possible frontrunners for the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries.
Polling averages indicate a crowded field of candidates, with Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom currently leading the pack, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and AOC herself.
However, the New York congresswoman’s left-wing credentials and large online following have made her resonate with parts of the electorate the Democratic machine struggles to reach.
Earlier this year, AOC drew huge crowds as she embarked on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour of the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and was one of the few House Dems to endorse Zohran Mamdani’s media-savvy, grassroots campaign for the New York mayoralship, now widely seen as the blueprint for future Democratic campaigns.
Speculation is also rife that AOC could swerve a presidential bid and instead campaign to unseat Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a primary for his New York Senate seat.
On the Republican side of the equation, Vance is seen as the heavy favorite to become the party’s next presidential nominee, after President Donald Trump begrudgingly admitted he will not be standing for a third term.
Although Trump has yet to formally name a successor, the president praised Vance as a “brilliant guy” back in August and singled out the vice president as the one “most likely” to succeed him.
“So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it,” the president told reporters at the White House. “But certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably the favorite at this point.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently seen as the only other credible challenger to the vice president, also ruled out a 2028 presidential run if Vance were on the ballot.
Vance himself has previously referred to the prospect of an Ocasio-Cortez presidency as “the stuff of nightmares,” telling Fox News back in May that the thought of “President AOC” has “ruined my sleep for the evening.”
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