Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders raise record amounts in 2025, with each collecting nearly $20 million amid increased progressive visibility in Congress.
—
ThetwomostprominentprogressivesinCongresshaveoutstrippedthecontributionsofyearspastin2025astheyridethemomentumofprimetimeattentionprogressiveshavereceivedinrecentmonths.
Rep.AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez,D-N.Y.,hasraised$19.8millionfromthestartoftheyearthroughSeptember,FECfilingsreveal—dwarfingcontributionsfromthe2023-2024electioncycle.Sheraised$15.2millioninthosetwoyears.
Insimilarfashion,Sen.BernieSanders,I-Vt.,hascollected$19millionin2025.That’smorethanhalfofwhatheraisedbetween2019-2024.
Thepair’swindfallhasdovetailedwithissuesofnationalfocusthathaveheightenedprogressives’visibility.Thegovernmentshutdown,theraceforNewYorkCitymayorandpersistentquestionsabouttheparty’sdirectionhaveallgivenfigureslikeOcasio-CortezandSandersaplatformtomaketheircase—evenastherestofthepartyhasstruggledtoofferanalternativevisiontoRepublicanmomentum.
