Gillibrand breathes a sigh of relief: AOC won't enter Senate race

Since coming to Congress in 2019, Alexandria Ocasio Cortéz has repeatedly been linked to the Senate. The rumblings first came in 2022, when some progressive Democrats expected her to challenge Chuck Schumer from the left, which ultimately did not end up happening but pushed the majority leader further to the left. Two years later, it seems she will once again pass up the opportunity to ascend to the Upper House.

Kirsten Gillibrand is looking to renew her seat in 2024 and can now do so more easily, as AOC will not be an obstacle. Relief came from the mouth of Lauren Hitt, spokesperson for the congresswoman, in an interview with POLITICO. "She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024. She is not planning to primary Gillibrand," the official assured.

Thus, the 56-year-old senator finished clearing her path to reelection. Strong support among young people made AOC a formidable challenger for a state like New York. While the idea of challenging the senator was previously discussed, she appears willing to wait a little longer.

Gillibrand will have no trouble navigating the primary and subsequently, the general election since it would be complicated for a Republican to prevail in New York. She first came to the Senate in 2010 following Hillary Clinton's resignation to take the post of Secretary of State and has since faced the ballot box twice. Her last election was in 2018, which she won by more than 30% over Republican Chele Farley.

Her main concern for 2024 is her party's internal challenges. The Democrats' poor performance in the 2022 midterm elections may have had something to do with it. Lee Zeldin ran an extraordinary election in New York, and his influence allowed the Republican Party to flip four seats, those in Districts 3, 4, 17 and 19.

According to POLITICO, this led many state Democratic officials to rethink the possibility of a competitive primary and prioritize party unity heading into 2024. Camille Rivera, a progressive Democratic strategist, said a complex primary "could be quite painful and give an advantage to a Republican."

The other potential contenders have also graciously withdrawn from the contest. Mondaire Jones, Jamaal Bowman and Ritchie Torres have already confirmed that they are not interested in Gillibrand's seat.