According to new Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, Ocasio-Cortez has raised $19.8 million from January through September — an amount that surpasses her entire fundraising total for the 2023–2024 election cycle, which stood at $15.2 million. Sen. Sanders has similarly reported $19 million in contributions this year alone, already eclipsing more than half of what he raised between 2019 and 2024.

The dramatic increase in funding reflects the heightened visibility of progressive lawmakers over the past several months. The recent government shutdown, the high-profile New York City mayoral race, and deep internal debates over the Democratic Party’s direction have all elevated figures like Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, even as party moderates struggle to counter a resurgent Republican narrative.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who also sits firmly within the party’s left wing, said the influx of donations represents a broad desire among Democratic voters to resist Trump’s policies and invest in a more progressive future.

“More than seven million people showed up on No Kings Day,” Warren said, referring to nationwide protests that took place over the weekend. “They are deeply worried about the direction that Donald Trump is taking this country, and they want a way to fight back. Political contributions are part of the way to being in the fight.”

Warren also noted that the scale and speed of the administration’s actions have mobilized progressives more forcefully than before. “It’s beyond anything we’ve seen in modern history,” she said. “Folks might be excused for not having anticipated it.”

As Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders continue to dominate the fundraising landscape, the progressive wing’s grip on the Democratic Party appears stronger than ever. Their financial momentum, fueled largely by small-dollar donors, signals that the party’s ideological center of gravity is shifting further left — setting the stage for intensified debates about its future direction ahead of the next election cycle.