Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez eligible to run for president in 2028?
Yes. AOC easily meets the constitutional requirements. Born October 13, 1989, she will be 39 years old on Election Day, November 7, 2028, and 39 on Inauguration Day 2029 - well over the minimum age of 35 - and she is a natural-born U.S. citizen.
Article II of the Constitution sets three requirements to be president: a candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez meets all three.
She was born on October 13, 1989, in New York City, which makes her a natural-born citizen. She turns 39 in October 2028 and would be 39 at the January 20, 2029 inauguration - comfortably above the 35-year minimum. The age requirement is measured when a president takes office, and she clears it with years to spare.
Whether she runs is a separate question from whether she is eligible. As of mid-2026 she has not declared, but she is widely reported to be weighing a national bid and polls in the top tier of the Democratic field.
So on the eligibility question the answer is unambiguous: there is no constitutional barrier to an Ocasio-Cortez presidential campaign in 2028.
Related questions
How old will AOC be in 2028?
Is AOC a natural-born citizen?
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Related explainers
To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
No. To be president you must be a natural-born U.S. citizen. Zohran Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 and became a U.S. citizen by naturalization in 2018, so he is not eligible to be president or vice president.
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