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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she is freezing her eggs as she weighs her personal and political future, including a possible campaign for president or the U.S. Senate in 2028.
Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said on Instagram that the decision was intended to give her greater control over her reproductive choices as she considers the next stage of her career.
“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
The New York Democrat, one of the most prominent members of the party’s progressive wing, did not say whether she intends to have children. But she said discussing her decision publicly carries a political risk because women in public life often face scrutiny over their age, relationships and family plans in ways men do not.
Her comments came as speculation grows about the 2028 Democratic field and whether Ocasio-Cortez could seek higher office.
Ocasio-Cortez keeps 2028 options open
Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Ocasio-Cortez said she has not ruled out seeking either the presidency or the Senate seat currently held by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
She did not commit to either campaign, saying her political future remains an open question.
Ocasio-Cortez’s national profile has grown substantially since she was first elected to Congress in 2018. She has become one of the Democratic Party’s most recognizable progressive voices and has built a large national following.
A presidential campaign would put her at the center of debates over the direction of the Democratic Party, while a Senate bid could create a high-profile contest in New York if Schumer does not seek reelection.
For now, Ocasio-Cortez said she wants to use her own experience to highlight the challenges women face when balancing professional ambitions and decisions about having children.
Reproductive rights become part of the conversation
Ocasio-Cortez connected her decision to the broader debate over reproductive health under President Donald Trump.
She argued that political leaders should speak more openly about the reproductive choices women face, particularly as access to abortion and other forms of reproductive care have become increasingly contested.
“In this political environment, where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it’s important for us as leaders to have these conversations,” she said.
Trump has opposed abortion rights, and three Supreme Court justices appointed during his first term helped form the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending the federal constitutional protection for abortion that had existed for nearly five decades.
Trump has also taken steps affecting fertility treatment. In 2025, he signed an executive order aimed at lowering the cost of in vitro fertilization, or IVF.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously made reproductive rights a central part of her legislative agenda. In 2022, she sponsored legislation aimed at codifying abortion rights into federal law after the Supreme Court overturned Roe.
A different standard for women in politics
Ocasio-Cortez said women in politics frequently confront questions about family planning that male candidates generally do not face.
“Men run for office, or frankly they interview for jobs, and people don’t think in the back of their minds, ‘OK, this guy’s running for office, how old is he? Oh, well, is he going to want to start a family?’” she said.
Her decision to freeze her eggs allows her to preserve the possibility of having biological children later while continuing to consider her professional and political ambitions.
The disclosure also reflects a broader shift in how some female politicians discuss fertility, pregnancy and family planning in public. Ocasio-Cortez said she understands that sharing such personal information could become part of the political conversation but believes the discussion itself is important.
With the 2028 presidential campaign still in its early stages, Ocasio-Cortez has yet to make a decision about her next political move. Her comments, however, make clear that both a presidential campaign and a potential Senate bid remain possibilities.
