For months, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has faced consistent questions regarding whether she will be the left-leaning front-runner for reelection next year.
The queries have become so loud that party insiders wondered if she would be seeking reelection at all.
But since the New York Democrat officially announced her reelection bid in January, she has seemingly been clearing the field.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), one of Gillibrand’s strongest potential challengers, is closing the door on a potential run.
Lauren Hitt, the spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez, said the progressive Representative “is not planning to run for Senate in 2024” and therefore had no intention to “primary Gillibrand.”
However, Ocasio-Cortez says she doesn’t plan to run isn’t the same as announcing she won’t be running. That said, the statement is her firmest comment on whether she’ll be seeking the Senate nomination.
If Ocasio-Cortez follows through on her decision not to run, she will smooth Gillibrand’s path to victory.
She would be joined by other potential candidates who have already dropped out of the race before it has officially begun.
Former New York Representative Progressive Mondaire Jones has decided not to run for Gillibrand’s seat next year after privately considering a bid, said a person familiar with his plans, who made the revelation on condition of anonymity to speak publicly about internal considerations.
According to POLITICO, both Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) are not interested in entering the race, confirming in a report by the news organization.
