Swing-state Democrats distance from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ahead of elections

Josh Riley: Josh Riley is a Democratic U.S. Representative whose district includes Ithaca, New York. Ocasio-Cortez campaigned with him there recently in a race that is no longer considered highly competitive. Mark Kelly: Mark Kelly is a Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona and a potential 2028 presidential contender. He has received invitations to campaign for Democrats in battleground areas where Ocasio-Cortez has been sidelined. Mike Casca: Mike Casca serves as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He indicated that she may conduct additional campaign events before Election Day when asked about her schedule. Angie Nixon: Angie Nixon is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Florida and a fellow member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Ocasio-Cortez has campaigned for her this month in a race not viewed as competitive by national Democrats. Mike Lawler: Mike Lawler is the Republican U.S. Representative from New York's 17th District. He has sought to link his Democratic opponent to Ocasio-Cortez by inviting the congresswoman to campaign in the district. Sam Forstag: Sam Forstag is a progressive Democratic House candidate in Montana who won his party's primary. He has distanced himself from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the general election in the conservative state, removing her endorsement from his website and declining out-of-state campaign events. Rahm Emanuel: Rahm Emanuel is the former Mayor of Chicago and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. Democratic candidates in competitive races have hosted him for campaign events in recent weeks. Kamala Harris: Kamala Harris is the former Vice President of the United States. Some battleground candidates have resisted her involvement while others have welcomed her to campaign in key states including Michigan, Georgia, and Nevada. Tom Perriello: Tom Perriello is a Democratic House candidate in Virginia seeking to flip a Republican-held seat. He has accepted joint fundraising support from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez this month. Abdul El-Sayed: Abdul El-Sayed is a left-wing Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who previously campaigned with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Since securing the nomination, his campaign has reduced emphasis on her support amid attacks from Republicans. Pete Buttigieg: Pete Buttigieg is the former U.S. Transportation Secretary and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. Unlike Ocasio-Cortez, he has been welcomed by Democratic candidates in competitive districts during recent weeks. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a Democratic U.S. Representative from New York known for advocating progressive policies such as Medicare for All. In the current election cycle, swing-state Democratic candidates are largely declining her campaign support to avoid association with her polarizing image in competitive general election races. Rival Positioning: Potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls including Pete Buttigieg, Mark Kelly, and Rahm Emanuel have been actively welcomed into competitive districts in recent weeks. Republican Attacks: GOP groups are running ads tying Democratic candidates to Ocasio-Cortez to portray them as too far left for their districts. Candidate Distancing: Several Democratic candidates in tight congressional races have explicitly asked Ocasio-Cortez's team to avoid campaigning for them to focus on moderate voters.