Ocasio-Cortez faces a crossroads in politics — and life

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is at a career and life crossroads that many women face at the age of 36, even without the pressure of a potential White House run.

The congresswoman, still less than a decade into her political career, is trying to decide what comes next.

It could be a run for president, where she is the leading contender to fill the progressive lane in a Democratic primary. It could also be running for the Senate, possibly in a primary against Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), the longtime Democratic leader.

She’s also walking a tightrope with the political left and suggesting some moderation, laughing in an interview Sunday that “woke 1 was crazy,” while quoting a local city councilman. 

She threw her support behind the progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race over Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, but she also hasn’t endorsed Francesca Hong, the democratic socialist who is running in a Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday. 

On the personal side, Ocasio-Cortez signaled she intends to start a family someday, announcing Saturday she was freezing her eggs, a rare if relatable public announcement that drew attention to the kinds of decisions faced by many women with vibrant careers.

“She’s got a very interesting moment she’s dealing with,” said one Democratic strategist who asked for anonymity to talk about the pressure Ocasio-Cortez faces.

Ocasio-Cortez has been a political star from the moment she defeated the establishment-backed Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.) in a Democratic primary in 2018. From then on, Democrats across the country saw her as a potential presidential candidate someday. And now, the days for making decisions on those next political steps are front and center.

“She’s got a high ceiling, and she’s probably legitimately conflicted about how to cash in the political capital she has right now,” the strategist said.

The key initial test is how to handle the left wing that elevated her, but that could also cost her in a national election — or perhaps even in a statewide contest in liberal New York.  

“That’s her biggest challenge right now: Managing this thing of not alienating the people who are her foundation while sitting at the big kids table,” the strategist said.

Susan Del Percio, the........

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