Centrist Democrats Launch '28 Mission: Stop AOC

Third Way group brings together party leaders to build case for moderate 2028 nominee

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Moderate Democrats are on a mission to stop the next Bernie Sanders, starting with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Third Way, an influential center-left group, is bringing together hundreds of elected officials, party leaders and operatives in Charleston, South Carolina this weekend to build a case for nominating a middle-of-the-road Democrat — not a liberal — for president in 2028.

Why it matters

Centrist Democrats' efforts to shape the next election have taken on a new urgency as liberals such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others have unexpectedly won races. It's a reflection of the deep divisions within the party over how to take on President Trump's MAGA Republicans.

The details

Third Way president Jon Cowan kicked off the event by taking shots at Ocasio-Cortez, the most high-profile democratic socialist eyeing a White House run. Cowan said that since 2018 political groups tied to AOC and Sanders "have flipped zero" battleground House seats, making it a risk for the party to pick a liberal as its standard-bearer. Cowan also blasted other liberal heroes, slamming "out-of-touch teachers' unions," criticizing "the language police," and telling Democrats to "stop peddling the idea that there are tens of millions of nonvoters just waiting to be mobilized by a left-wing siren song. It is delusional and widely debunked."

  • The Third Way event took place over the weekend of March 1, 2026.

The players

Third Way

An influential center-left group that is bringing together hundreds of elected officials, party leaders and operatives to build a case for nominating a middle-of-the-road Democrat for president in 2028.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A New York Congresswoman and the most high-profile democratic socialist eyeing a White House run.

Jon Cowan

The president of Third Way who kicked off the event by taking shots at Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal heroes.

Justice Democrats

A group that helped elect Ocasio-Cortez and whose spokesperson shot back that its focus is challenging "corporate Dems in deep-blue seats," not flipping GOP seats.

Zohran Mamdani

The New York City Mayor who is cited as an example of a liberal who has unexpectedly won a race.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

This case highlights the deep divisions within the Democratic party over how to take on President Trump's MAGA Republicans, with centrist Democrats pushing for a more moderate nominee in 2028 while liberals argue that a muscular populist vision is needed to inspire voters and win back working-class support.