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The Apple Store at the Towson Town Center mall in Maryland was the first of the company's retail locations in the U.S. to unionize. Following that June victory, workers at an Oklahoma City location voted to form a second union on October 14, 2022. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
'We Won!': Workers Vote to Become Second Unionized US Apple Store
Congratulating the Oklahoma City organizers, Sen. Bernie Sanders said that "it's time for Apple to treat its workers with respect."
Oct 15, 2022
The labor movement sweeping the United States notched another win Friday when workers in Oklahoma City voted to become the second unionized Apple Store in the nation, following the first victory in Maryland earlier this year.
Citing a preliminary tally from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), CNNreported that 88 of 95 workers at the Penn Square Mall store weighed in, and 56 of them--or 64%--voted to be represented by Communication Workers of America (CWA).
"We felt like we had the majority support, and as long a people got out and cast their vote, we would win," Leigha Briscoe, a 28-year-old on the organizing committee at the store, told CNN after the ballots were counted.
Noting the June vote in Maryland and a stalled effort in Atlanta, organizers and supporters of the Oklahoma City campaign celebrated on social media:
\u201cLET'S GO!!!!! @pennsquarelabor has officially won their NLRB vote. First Apple store to unionize with @CODE_CWA @CWAUnion and second unionized Apple store in the entire U.S. Thank you to everyone who stood by us and supported this campaign since Atlanta. ONWARD \ud83c\udf4e\u270a\ud83c\udf31 #unionYES\u201d— Apple Retail Union (@Apple Retail Union) 1665797391
\u201cWe woke up with Weingarten rights this morning, pretty awesome feeling if you ask. #unionYES #1u\u201d— Penn Square Labor Alliance (@Penn Square Labor Alliance) 1665841111
"Let me congratulate the Apple Store workers in Oklahoma City for voting to become the second unionized Apple Store in the U.S." tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "Last year, Apple made a record $95 billion profit. Its billionaire CEO made $99 million in 2021. It's time for Apple to treat its workers with respect."
According to the Penn Square Labor Alliance (PSLA), supporters of the union drive are working toward fair compensation, career development, bonuses and benefits that align with those of corporate employees, hiring from under-represented communities, labor conditions that respect health and well-being, improved safety, and "an influential role in decision-making to ensure our daily operations match our publicly stated values, flexibility to allow for civic participation, and opportunities for paid volunteer work."
\u201cCongratulations to Apple workers in Oklahoma City who just won their union election to join CWA! \ud83e\udd73\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1665797055
Apple employee and PSLA organizer Michael Forsythe toldPublic Radio Tulsa earlier this week that his store's campaign was also supported by local Starbucks workers fighting for unions.
"I really hope that this kind of reinvigorates the labor movement further and gets more locations, whether it's Apple or not, whether it's local Trader Joe's or Home Depots, whatever it is," Forsythe added. "I hope more people start fighting to take their seat at the table. And I hope that we can show up and do what we can in solidarity to support them."
\u201cTHEY WON! Out here supporting the 2nd unionize Apple Store in the US! @pennsquarelabor\u201d— OKCSBXUNITED (@OKCSBXUNITED) 1665797115
Public Radio Tulsa noted that Apple has received union-busting complaints from both the PSLA and the NLRB.
More Perfect Unionreported in early October that "Oklahoma City workers say they've faced a series of escalating anti-union tactics from management, including regular one-on-one 'walk and talk' conversations between managers and workers, roundtable discussions about unionization, and, most recently, an influx of additional managers in the store."
\u201cA day before the election, Apple then announced (in violation of federal law) that it's rolling out new benefits to all U.S. retail employees \u2014 except those who are unionizing.\n\nWorkers in Oklahoma City voted to form a union anyway.\n\nhttps://t.co/tzGQQTVrQM\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1665796717
Apple employee and union organizer Kevin Herrera toldNews 9 this week that "there's definitely been meetings, there's been walks and talks. There's been instances where I have even felt under the pressure, under the stress and it's really hard to navigate those meetings."
The organizer highlighted workers' desire fore a clearer path the move up in the company, saying that "it takes abiout an average of three years for my peers and my colleagues to transition into a full-time role. I don't know about anyone else but I find it hard to support a family on a part-time income."
Herrera also said he wants to ensure fellow Spanish speakers "can have the same experience as our English speakers have" when they come in to shop, noting that on Mother's Day, "I had a line of one hour and a half people waiting to speak to me because I was the only bilingual speaker in the store at the time."
Asked to comment on the Friday's development, Apple said in a statement to CNN that "we believe the open, direct, and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams."
"We're proud to provide our team members with strong compensation and exceptional benefits," the company added. "Since 2018, we've increased our starting rates in the U.S. by 45% and we've made many significant enhancements to our industry-leading benefits."
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The labor movement sweeping the United States notched another win Friday when workers in Oklahoma City voted to become the second unionized Apple Store in the nation, following the first victory in Maryland earlier this year.
Citing a preliminary tally from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), CNNreported that 88 of 95 workers at the Penn Square Mall store weighed in, and 56 of them--or 64%--voted to be represented by Communication Workers of America (CWA).
"We felt like we had the majority support, and as long a people got out and cast their vote, we would win," Leigha Briscoe, a 28-year-old on the organizing committee at the store, told CNN after the ballots were counted.
Noting the June vote in Maryland and a stalled effort in Atlanta, organizers and supporters of the Oklahoma City campaign celebrated on social media:
\u201cLET'S GO!!!!! @pennsquarelabor has officially won their NLRB vote. First Apple store to unionize with @CODE_CWA @CWAUnion and second unionized Apple store in the entire U.S. Thank you to everyone who stood by us and supported this campaign since Atlanta. ONWARD \ud83c\udf4e\u270a\ud83c\udf31 #unionYES\u201d— Apple Retail Union (@Apple Retail Union) 1665797391
\u201cWe woke up with Weingarten rights this morning, pretty awesome feeling if you ask. #unionYES #1u\u201d— Penn Square Labor Alliance (@Penn Square Labor Alliance) 1665841111
"Let me congratulate the Apple Store workers in Oklahoma City for voting to become the second unionized Apple Store in the U.S." tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "Last year, Apple made a record $95 billion profit. Its billionaire CEO made $99 million in 2021. It's time for Apple to treat its workers with respect."
According to the Penn Square Labor Alliance (PSLA), supporters of the union drive are working toward fair compensation, career development, bonuses and benefits that align with those of corporate employees, hiring from under-represented communities, labor conditions that respect health and well-being, improved safety, and "an influential role in decision-making to ensure our daily operations match our publicly stated values, flexibility to allow for civic participation, and opportunities for paid volunteer work."
\u201cCongratulations to Apple workers in Oklahoma City who just won their union election to join CWA! \ud83e\udd73\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1665797055
Apple employee and PSLA organizer Michael Forsythe toldPublic Radio Tulsa earlier this week that his store's campaign was also supported by local Starbucks workers fighting for unions.
"I really hope that this kind of reinvigorates the labor movement further and gets more locations, whether it's Apple or not, whether it's local Trader Joe's or Home Depots, whatever it is," Forsythe added. "I hope more people start fighting to take their seat at the table. And I hope that we can show up and do what we can in solidarity to support them."
\u201cTHEY WON! Out here supporting the 2nd unionize Apple Store in the US! @pennsquarelabor\u201d— OKCSBXUNITED (@OKCSBXUNITED) 1665797115
Public Radio Tulsa noted that Apple has received union-busting complaints from both the PSLA and the NLRB.
More Perfect Unionreported in early October that "Oklahoma City workers say they've faced a series of escalating anti-union tactics from management, including regular one-on-one 'walk and talk' conversations between managers and workers, roundtable discussions about unionization, and, most recently, an influx of additional managers in the store."
\u201cA day before the election, Apple then announced (in violation of federal law) that it's rolling out new benefits to all U.S. retail employees \u2014 except those who are unionizing.\n\nWorkers in Oklahoma City voted to form a union anyway.\n\nhttps://t.co/tzGQQTVrQM\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1665796717
Apple employee and union organizer Kevin Herrera toldNews 9 this week that "there's definitely been meetings, there's been walks and talks. There's been instances where I have even felt under the pressure, under the stress and it's really hard to navigate those meetings."
The organizer highlighted workers' desire fore a clearer path the move up in the company, saying that "it takes abiout an average of three years for my peers and my colleagues to transition into a full-time role. I don't know about anyone else but I find it hard to support a family on a part-time income."
Herrera also said he wants to ensure fellow Spanish speakers "can have the same experience as our English speakers have" when they come in to shop, noting that on Mother's Day, "I had a line of one hour and a half people waiting to speak to me because I was the only bilingual speaker in the store at the time."
Asked to comment on the Friday's development, Apple said in a statement to CNN that "we believe the open, direct, and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams."
"We're proud to provide our team members with strong compensation and exceptional benefits," the company added. "Since 2018, we've increased our starting rates in the U.S. by 45% and we've made many significant enhancements to our industry-leading benefits."
The labor movement sweeping the United States notched another win Friday when workers in Oklahoma City voted to become the second unionized Apple Store in the nation, following the first victory in Maryland earlier this year.
Citing a preliminary tally from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), CNNreported that 88 of 95 workers at the Penn Square Mall store weighed in, and 56 of them--or 64%--voted to be represented by Communication Workers of America (CWA).
"We felt like we had the majority support, and as long a people got out and cast their vote, we would win," Leigha Briscoe, a 28-year-old on the organizing committee at the store, told CNN after the ballots were counted.
Noting the June vote in Maryland and a stalled effort in Atlanta, organizers and supporters of the Oklahoma City campaign celebrated on social media:
\u201cLET'S GO!!!!! @pennsquarelabor has officially won their NLRB vote. First Apple store to unionize with @CODE_CWA @CWAUnion and second unionized Apple store in the entire U.S. Thank you to everyone who stood by us and supported this campaign since Atlanta. ONWARD \ud83c\udf4e\u270a\ud83c\udf31 #unionYES\u201d— Apple Retail Union (@Apple Retail Union) 1665797391
\u201cWe woke up with Weingarten rights this morning, pretty awesome feeling if you ask. #unionYES #1u\u201d— Penn Square Labor Alliance (@Penn Square Labor Alliance) 1665841111
"Let me congratulate the Apple Store workers in Oklahoma City for voting to become the second unionized Apple Store in the U.S." tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "Last year, Apple made a record $95 billion profit. Its billionaire CEO made $99 million in 2021. It's time for Apple to treat its workers with respect."
According to the Penn Square Labor Alliance (PSLA), supporters of the union drive are working toward fair compensation, career development, bonuses and benefits that align with those of corporate employees, hiring from under-represented communities, labor conditions that respect health and well-being, improved safety, and "an influential role in decision-making to ensure our daily operations match our publicly stated values, flexibility to allow for civic participation, and opportunities for paid volunteer work."
\u201cCongratulations to Apple workers in Oklahoma City who just won their union election to join CWA! \ud83e\udd73\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1665797055
Apple employee and PSLA organizer Michael Forsythe toldPublic Radio Tulsa earlier this week that his store's campaign was also supported by local Starbucks workers fighting for unions.
"I really hope that this kind of reinvigorates the labor movement further and gets more locations, whether it's Apple or not, whether it's local Trader Joe's or Home Depots, whatever it is," Forsythe added. "I hope more people start fighting to take their seat at the table. And I hope that we can show up and do what we can in solidarity to support them."
\u201cTHEY WON! Out here supporting the 2nd unionize Apple Store in the US! @pennsquarelabor\u201d— OKCSBXUNITED (@OKCSBXUNITED) 1665797115
Public Radio Tulsa noted that Apple has received union-busting complaints from both the PSLA and the NLRB.
More Perfect Unionreported in early October that "Oklahoma City workers say they've faced a series of escalating anti-union tactics from management, including regular one-on-one 'walk and talk' conversations between managers and workers, roundtable discussions about unionization, and, most recently, an influx of additional managers in the store."
\u201cA day before the election, Apple then announced (in violation of federal law) that it's rolling out new benefits to all U.S. retail employees \u2014 except those who are unionizing.\n\nWorkers in Oklahoma City voted to form a union anyway.\n\nhttps://t.co/tzGQQTVrQM\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1665796717
Apple employee and union organizer Kevin Herrera toldNews 9 this week that "there's definitely been meetings, there's been walks and talks. There's been instances where I have even felt under the pressure, under the stress and it's really hard to navigate those meetings."
The organizer highlighted workers' desire fore a clearer path the move up in the company, saying that "it takes abiout an average of three years for my peers and my colleagues to transition into a full-time role. I don't know about anyone else but I find it hard to support a family on a part-time income."
Herrera also said he wants to ensure fellow Spanish speakers "can have the same experience as our English speakers have" when they come in to shop, noting that on Mother's Day, "I had a line of one hour and a half people waiting to speak to me because I was the only bilingual speaker in the store at the time."
Asked to comment on the Friday's development, Apple said in a statement to CNN that "we believe the open, direct, and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams."
"We're proud to provide our team members with strong compensation and exceptional benefits," the company added. "Since 2018, we've increased our starting rates in the U.S. by 45% and we've made many significant enhancements to our industry-leading benefits."
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LATEST NEWS
Jewish Palestine Defenders Hold Passover Protest Against ICE Kidnappings, Gaza Genocide
"As Jews of conscience, we remain steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian freedom... and to defending immigrants, trans people, and all those under attack by the Trump regime," said one organizer.
Apr 15, 2025
Continuing the Jewish left's tradition of adapting the Passover Seder to promote liberation, Jewish Voice for Peace led protesters at a New York City rally demanding an end to the Trump administration's targeting of Palestine defenders for deportation and U.S. support for Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
JVP's Liberation Seder drew hundreds of rallygoers to Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) New York headquarters are located.
"We are outside Federal Plaza to say: Stop arming Israel. End Israel's genocide in Gaza. Free political prisoners held by ICE. Stop the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and students," JVP
said on social media during the event.
Days after a Louisiana judge ruled to allow the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil to proceed, and just hours after ICE abducted Columbia student and green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi, thousands held an emergency Passover Seder outside the ICE headquarters in New York City last night.
[image or embed]
— Jewish Voice for Peace ( @jvp.bsky.social) April 15, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, ICE has been arresting foreign nationals—including people with permanent residency like Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi—who took part in nonviolent campus protests for Palestine.
Protesters chanted slogans including "Free Mahmoud, Free Them All!" and "Come for One, Face Us All!" and held banners with messages like "Deposing Fascism Is a Jewish Tradition," "Jews Say Exodus From Zionism," "None of Us Are Free Until All of Us Are Free," and "Jews Say Stop Arming Israel."
"This Passover, the Jewish festival of liberation, we cannot celebrate as usual while Palestinians in Gaza face famine and the U.S.-backed Israeli government uses starvation as a weapon of war," said JVP organizer Jay Saper, whose whose great-uncle was kidnapped by police when he was an immigrant student in Paris during the Holocaust and deported to the Auschwitz death camp.
"The Seder ritual cannot be theoretical: It calls us to strengthen our commitment to the liberation of the Palestinian people," Saper added. "We commend the courageous students and all people of conscience raising their voices in dissent to Israel's genocide in Gaza and call for the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil and all political prisoners."
Israel's U.S.-backed 557-day war on Gaza has left more than 180,000 Palestinians dead, injured, or missing. Israeli troops have forcibly displaced nearly all of the coastal enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants as the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—a fugitive from the International Criminal Court—prepares to permanently seize and recolonize large parts of the strip. Widespread and sometimes deadly starvation and sickness have also ravaged Gaza as a result of Israel's "complete siege"—one of the policies under review by the International Court of Justice in an ongoing South Africa-led genocide case against Israel.
Through it all, the Biden and Trump administrations have given Israel unconditional support including billions of dollars in armed aid and diplomatic cover.
Rabbi Abby Stein, who presided over the Seder, accused Trump—whose Cabinet has been called the "most antisemitic in decades" and who has a history of purveying antisemitic tropes—of feigning concern for Jewish safety in order to persecute Palestine defenders.
"We refuse to allow the president to use our people as cover for its racist, anti-Palestinian, fascist agenda," she said.
Addressing the rally, Ramzi Kassem—an attorney representing Khalil and other targeted foreign nationals including Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in Massachusetts—said: "My client Rümeysa shared with me and my fellow lawyers representing her that when she was taken by ICE from her campus at Tufts, in the video that I'm sure you've all seen, and she was whisked across state lines by men in plain clothes in an unmarked van, one of these men turned to her, and he said, 'We are not monsters.' He said, 'We're just doing as we're told."
Öztürk—who was snatched off the street by masked plainclothes agents—was arrested despite a State Department determination that there were no grounds for revoking her visa. However, under the the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the secretary of state can order the expulsion of noncitizens whose presence in the United States is deemed detrimental to U.S. foreign policy interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio—who lied about Öztürk supporting Hamas—has used such determinations to target people for engaging in constitutionally protected speech and protest.
Inside Higher Ed reported that as of Tuesday, more than 1,200 students and recent graduates have had their legal status changed by the State Department, for various reasons.
In addition to moving to deport pro-Palestine students, the Trump administration is sending Latin American immigrants—including wrongfully expelled Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia—to a notorious prison in El Salvador, and the president has repeatedly threatened to send natural-born U.S. citizens there.
"The people demand that ICE stop its reign of terror, and for the Trump administration to cease the predatory targeting of organizers and immigrants," Rami Abdelkarim, a San Francisco Bay Area-based organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said in solidarity with Monday's rally.
"We are ready to face this moment with courage and solidarity, together," Abdelkarim added. "Mahmoud's case and all other cases show us that our just cause to stop the genocide in Gaza stands at the center of the fight against fascism and for migrant and democratic rights."
In addition to JVP, members of groups including Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, IfNotNow NYC, Rabbis for Cease-fire, and Shoresh turned out for the rally. The event was inspired by the 1969 Freedom Seder organized by Rabbi Arthur Waskow on the anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and connected the Jewish exodus story with the U.S. fight for civil rights and against the war on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Last year, JVP co-led a Passover Seder protest outside the home of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at which more than 300 demonstrators were arrested.
Monday's rallygoers embodied the ancient Jewish tenets of tzedek, mishpat, and din—righteousness, judgment, and abiding by the law.
"As Jews of conscience, we remain steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian freedom, to protecting the right to protest, and to defending immigrants, trans people, and all those under attack by the Trump regime," said JVP political director Beth Miller.
Trump's New Plan for Deep Foreign Aid Cuts 'Will Plunge Millions' Into Hunger, Disease
"The Trump administration cannot legally enact these changes on its own—Congress must take a stand against these dangerous cuts to foreign aid and reject this proposal," said the president of Oxfam America.
Apr 15, 2025
A newly reported Trump administration plan to cut U.S. State Department funding in half next fiscal year and axe foreign assistance by nearly 75% drew dire warnings from humanitarian organizations that have seen firsthand the chaos sown by the administration's dismantling of life-saving aid operations.
"The administration's cuts, along with the proposed withdrawal of funding from key institutions like the United Nations, will plunge millions into hunger, disease, and increase other threats, making the world more dangerous and unstable for us all," Abby Maxman, the president and CEO of Oxfam America, said in a statement issued after multiple news outlets reported the details of the Trump administration's plan.
According to Reuters, the Trump administration is aiming to slash foreign assistance distributed by the State Department and USAID from $38.3 billion to $16.9 billion at a time of intensifying hunger, health, and climate crises worldwide.
The administration is also considering a proposal to shutter more than two dozen embassies and consulates—including some in Africa and Europe—and eliminate "almost all" funding for the United Nations.
An internal memo obtained by The New York Times proposes "cutting funding for humanitarian assistance and global health programs by more than 50% despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s pledges that lifesaving assistance would be preserved."
"There should be global moral outrage that the decisions made by powerful people in other countries have led to child deaths in just a matter of weeks."
Maxman said Monday that the administration's push for aggressive funding cuts—which, by law, must be approved by the Republican-controlled Congress—would "cause further suffering and have life-or-death consequences for millions around the world who are already living through dire humanitarian crises."
"It outlines sweeping cuts that could include programs like urgent food, water, and healthcare, education, and other support for women, children, and communities," said Maxman. "The Trump administration cannot legally enact these changes on its own—Congress must take a stand against these dangerous cuts to foreign aid and reject this proposal."
Trump's sweeping and lawless attacks on foreign aid have already had deadly consequences. The Times, citing the humanitarian group Save the Children, reported last week that "at least five children and three adults with cholera died as they went in search of treatment in South Sudan after aid cuts by the Trump administration shuttered local health clinics during the country's worst cholera outbreak in decades."
"There should be global moral outrage that the decisions made by powerful people in other countries have led to child deaths in just a matter of weeks," Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children country director in South Sudan, said in a statement.
As AOC and Sanders Draw Crowds, 72% of Democrats Want Party to Abandon Centrist Approach to Trump
The two progressive lawmakers have addressed massive crowds in solidly red states including Idaho and Utah in recent days, as party of the national Fighting Oligarchy Tour.
Apr 15, 2025
Anyone observing the nationwide Fighting Oligarchy Tour led by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken notice of the massive crowds that the lawmakers have drawn in a wide variety of cities—including in deep-red states like Utah and Idaho—and a poll out Monday provided new evidence that the progressive leaders' pro-working class message is resonating across the country.
A survey taken by Harvard's Center for American Political Studies and Harris between April 9-10 found that 72% of Democratic voters supported politicians like Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), "who are calling on Democrats to adopt a more aggressive stance towards Trump and his administration and 'fight harder'," rather than leaders who are willing to "compromise" with President Donald Trump.
Just 28% of Democratic voters said they support a so-called "moderate" approach. Across the political spectrum, 53% of respondents said they favored politicians who are willing to work with Trump—down two percentage points from the Harvard/Harris March survey.
The poll was released as Ocasio-Cortez joined Sanders at a rally in Nampa, Idaho, where they spoke out against insider trading by members of Congress, billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency—whose federal job and spending cuts have hit Idaho's recreation industry and veterans' healthcare in the state—and the need for government-run healthcare, which also is supported by the vast majority of Democratic voters in the U.S., even as party leaders refuse to prioritize the issue.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders made clear that they don't view the fight for government-run healthcare and against billionaires' influence over the U.S. political system as issues that appeal solely to the left.
"We're here to flip this state," said the congresswoman, who has served since 2019 after a surprise primary victory against longtime Rep. Joe Crowley. "We might all come from different places, but we share so many of the same experiences."
Sanders added: "We don't accept this blue state, red state nonsense. We are one people."
The crowd of 12,500—the full capacity of the Ford Idaho Center, according to the venue's general manager—was not an outlier for the Fighting Oligarchy Tour, which began in Nebraska in February. More than 20,000 people packed into the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday—with 4,000 more in an overflow area—to hear Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez rail against "extreme and growing wealth inequality" and "the toxic division and corruption that it requires to survive," and demand a "fair economy for working people along with the democracy and freedoms that uphold it."
"So many of us know what it feels like for life to be one bad day, one bad piece of news, one major setback from everything feeling like it's going to fall apart. And we don't have to live like this anymore, Utah!" Ocasio-Cortez said. "We can make a new world, a better country where we can fight for the dignity of all people."
Last month, about 30,000 people gathered at Denver's Civic Center Park to hear from the lawmakers, after 10,000 people attended a rally in the northern Colorado town of Greeley. Thousands have also turned out in Nebraska, Iowa, and Michigan.
The nationwide Fighting Oligarchy Tour, with stops in several swing states, has contrasted sharply with the approach of Democratic leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) since Trump took office. Schumer infuriated voters and lawmakers from across the party's ideological spectrum when he chose to back a Republican spending bill that boosted military spending and slashed nondefense spending by $13 billion, saying the vote was necessary to avoid a government shutdown. Jeffries has complained about the advocacy of groups like MoveOn and Indivisible, which have demanded a tougher fight from Democrats against Trump's pro-corporate, anti-working class, and openly xenophobic agenda.
Although Ocasio-Cortez was passed over for the top Democratic seat on the powerful House Oversight Committee, Basil Smikle, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, told The Hill that the congresswoman "represents the next generation of Democratic politics."
"I think what she has been saying, either tacitly or explicitly, is that there needs to be a generational shift in the party's leadership and its message to voters," said Smikle. "She essentially did that in her race against Joe Crowley."
Monday's poll was released 10 days after a Data for Progress survey found that in a hypothetical 2028 U.S. Senate primary in New York, Ocasio-Cortez was leading Schumer by 19 points, with 55% of voters saying they would support her over the five-term senator.
Also on Monday, Echelon Insights released a poll regarding potential Democratic presidential nominees for 2028. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was in the lead with 28% of voters saying they would back her—down from 33% who expressed support for her in March.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who gave a history-making 25-hour Senate floor speech to speak out against the Trump administration earlier this month, was in second with 11%, followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 7%—down three points from March—and Ocasio-Cortez, also at 7%.
The congresswoman was polling ahead of other Democrats whose names have been floated as potential future presidential candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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