Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tops Poll As Best Representative Of Democratic Party’s Values

In the latest CNN poll, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) was found to best represent the “core values” of the Democratic Party compared to several of her colleagues, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The survey, conducted from March 6-9, asked Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents which party leader they felt represented its core values. AOC received the most responses with 10%. Harris placed second at 9%, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) at 8%, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at 6%. Former President Joe Biden, Newsom, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvannia) were among those who garnered 2% or fewer responses.

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Recently, Newsom has been in the spotlight, having launched a podcast. Following the destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County this year, rumors about his possible run for the White House in 2028 continue to circulate. However, his podcast has stirred controversy in California, with a new poll revealing that 26% of 1,000 voters in the state say their opinion of Newsom has soured after watching segments of his interview with conservative Charlie Kirk, the executive director of the right-wing group Turning Point USA.

The Democratic Party’s approval rating has dropped to a record low of 29%, a decrease of 20 percentage points since January 2021, and now trails behind the Republican Party’s 36% approval by 7%. Over half of Democrats polled expressed dissatisfaction with the direction their leaders are taking, as the proportion of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who view the party favorably has fallen by 18 points, from 81% in 2021 to just 63%.

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Last week, tensions flared between the House and Senate Democrats over the federal spending proposal, causing a rift among lawmakers. Ocasio-Cortez took a stand, criticizing Senate Minority Leader Schumer and others who supported the bill.

Ahead of the Senate vote on the spending bill, Ocasio-Cortez took to X on Thursday to write: “There are members of Congress who have won Trump-held districts in some of the most difficult territories in the United States, who walked the plank and took innumerable risks in order to defend the American people … just to see some Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think it is a huge slap in the face and I think that there’s a wide sense of betrayal.”