Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez eligible to run for president in 2028?
Yes. AOC easily meets the constitutional requirements. Born in 1989, she will be 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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