In less than a year, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went from bartending to pulling off an “astonishing” primary victory against one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party.
In a monumental upset, the 28-year-old Hispanic woman, who describes herself as a democratic socialist, defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional district in Queens and the Bronx on Tuesday.
Scott Heins/Getty
“This victory belongs to every single grassroots organizer, every working parent, every mom, every member of the LGBTQ community,” she said, evidently shocked and elated, just moments after her win. “Every single person is responsible for this.”
“After 20 years of the same representation, we have to ask: Who has New York been changing for?” she asked in the video. “This race is about people vs. money. We’ve got people, they’ve got money.”
An educator and former organizer for Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez used Crowley’s prominence in the Democratic Party machine against him in her bid for Congress. As a native of the Bronx and a Hispanic woman in a district that is majority-minority, Ocasio-Cortez slammed Crowley for spending most of his time in D.C. — to the point that his wife and children live in Arlington, Virginia.
“I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion, and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018,” the former bartender said toThe New York TimesTuesday night.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrates her upset victory over Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley in her district’s 2018 primary election.Scott Heins/Getty Images
And when Crowley asked her at a debate if she would endorse him if he prevailed, she told him that she would take his request back to the people who backed her and they would decide democratically whether to give their support.
Crowley, meanwhile, was gracious in defeat. According toThe Hill, as the results became clear Crowley grabbed a guitar and played a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” which he dedicated to his opponent.
While national discourse has fixated on the rift in the Republican Party, Ocasio-Cortez’s shocking victory shines a light on the evolving left. Her victory, on a platform of fighting for Medicare for all, tuition-free public college, federal jobs guarantee and criminal justice reform, suggests a Democratic base ready for a dramatic progressive change. Crowley is the first House Democrat in the nation to lose a primary in 2018.
“This is not an end, this is the beginning,” Ocasio-Corteztold supporters on Tuesday night. “This is the beginning because the message that we sent the world tonight is that it’s not OK to put donors before your community.”
On hand to celebrate with her Tuesday evening was formerSex and the Citystar Cynthia Nixon, who is currently running for governor of New York and has thrown her support behind Ocasio-Cortez.
“It was just so shocking,” she said. “We had felt so great all day, but to see what that feeling looked like in numbers was really astonishing.”
Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is also one of the latest women to make waves in the midterm primaries.
While many point to a Democratic desire for radical change or an excitement around female candidates, President Trump has another explanation for the massive upset.
“That is a big one that nobody saw happening,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!” (Perhaps Trump did not notice that Ocasio-Cortez had said she would support Trump’s impeachment.)
Ocasio-Cortez will face Anthony Pappas, the Republican candidate, in the November general election.
source: people.com
