‘Squad’ member and Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly eyeing a potential 2028 presidential run ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital spoke to Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Shasti Conrad Thursday, ahead of Axios' report on Ocasio-Cortez's alleged 2028 aspirations, to discuss former Vice President Kamala Harris' new book as well as top Democrats eyeing serving in higher offices.
Conrad, who is also the chair of Washington State's Democratic Party, told Fox News Digital that the party needs "hundreds of leaders," listing off names such as New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, to Ocasio-Cortez and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
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"We need Mamdani to Pete to Kamala to (Minnesota Gov. Tim) Walz to (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom ... to (Kentucky Gov.) Andy Beshear to, you know, AOC," she said. "We need messengers across this country talking about what Democrats stand for, what we will do when we get back in power, how we will make a difference in people's lives."
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Morristown, New Jersey. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
The book argued the Biden team rarely defended her from negative press, and called Biden's decision to run for reelection at the age of 81 as an example of "recklessness."
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"’It’s Joe and Jill’s decision.’ We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotized," Harris wrote in the book, according to the excerpts. "Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness. The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision."
The excerpts set off condemnation from former White House staffers who told Axios that Harris was allegedly trying to scapegoat Biden instead of owning up that she "was simply not good at the job."
Democrats are now jockeying to lead the party in the Trump era. Conrad said the book tees up Harris potentially running for president again in 2028, or a potential Buttigieg run, while also celebrating that other high-profile names could step up.
Kamala Harris is currently serving as Vice President of the United States for the Biden-Harris administration. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press)
"This is the thing that happens when you don't have the White House, the presidency, is that there isn't one leader of the Democrats," she said. "We need, you know, hundreds of leaders."
The report of Ocasio-Cortez's potential comes as the Democratic Party maps out its future following Trump's November 2024 election win.
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Harris is launching a book tour after her memoir reflecting on her 107-day presidential campaign was released Tuesday.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/aoc-allegedly-eyeing-2028-run-dnc-vice-chair-rallies-party-needs-mamdani-ocasio-cortez