Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (via Twitter)
Nov. 6, 2018 By Christian Murray
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has just been elected to U.S. Congress, making her the youngest woman to win a Congressional seat in the country’s history.
Ocasio-Cortez, 29, will represent the 14th District of New York , which covers north west Queens and a southern portion of Bronx, in the House of Representatives beginning in January.
Her victory, with roughly 80 percent of the vote and 72 percent of scanners reporting as of press time, comes on the heels of her stunning victory over longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley in the June primary that rocked the political establishment.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Socialist who ran on a platform of Medicare-for-all, free public college and abolishing ICE, beat Crowley by nearly 15 points—57.1 percent to 42.5– in the primary. She railed against the Democratic machine and refused to take corporate money, and set herself apart from Crowley, claiming he was the embodiment of the machine and special interests as head of the Queens County Democratic Party.
Despite Crowley’s defeat in the primary, his name remained on ballot—listed under the Working Families line. Some supporters, additionally, were campaigning for him, despite his numerous announcements that he wasn’t running.
A map showing Congressional District 14
Last week, ads were placed in the Woodside Herald, Queens Gazette and elsewhere telling residents to cast their votes for him.
Supporters were also handing out flyers in Sunnyside and were urging people to support him on Facebook.
But the likelihood of Ocasio-Cortez, a resident of Parkchester in the Bronx, winning the Nov. 6 midterm election was already high, given her astounding triumph in the Democratic primary.
Indeed, Crowley received 6 percent of the vote as of press time, with roughly 6,450 votes counted so far.
The first-time candidate, who had roughly 82,000 votes in tonight’s election, came with little political experience when she started her campaign at the beginning of the year. At the time she was working as a waitress in a Manhattan restaurant.
She had helped Bernie Sanders with his 2016 presidential run, and worked for the National Hispanic Institute. She also handled constituent issues for Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts while attending college in Boston, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from Boston University.
Her progressive agenda, dislike of the political machine and humble beginnings, however, resonated strongly with constituents. Her campaign, while steadily gaining traction, was elevated to the spotlight shortly after releasing an online video that went viral, with the opening line being– “Women like me aren’t supposed to run for office.”
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27 Comments
Can’t we just get along
I am all for progress except for an effectively elected person who does not allow the press in more than one town hall in August. No press? She might as well just become a Republican. Instagramming her life with no press and no real conversations? Check – become a Republican. This is not what I signed up for at the primary.
We are gathered here together to great the storm. At least tomorrow belong to us.
How do we pay for Medicare for all just pay for it?? where is the money tree comrade Ocasio?? Yet she has no money to pay for an apt in DC?? where did all that money in tips u made on that u never claimed on your taxes . This is what is representing my district?? clueless . How are u going to fund your proposals. That’s the governments problem”” . A true socialist believes money grows on trees. A belief that she wants America to mimic Venezuela. Her constituency will be in shock when she does not lift a finger to help .
Nordic countries are socialist and are among the happiest and healthiest countries in the world.
All Venezuela demonstrates is that if you leave implementation to the very worst, most anti-intellectual, callous, authoritarian and criminal people in society things can go badly.
I wonder why Fox News viewers always fail to mention every other highly successful socialist countries?
I wonder why Fox News viewers fail to mention the 27.6 million Americans that don’t have health insurance under our glorious capitalist system?
Nordic countries turned socialist after they built their wealth on true capitalism. That is the natural progression. Socialism builds nothing but starvation and violence. Resd up some history books before making uneducated comments. And no – there is no capitalism in US right now. It’s corporcracy.
The worst news yet is that We are not rid of Crowley and his corrupt Machine and family yet!
An Crowley crony was bragging that We – Queens taxpayers, have to foot the bill for life, for Crowley’s pension (140,000 a year and comprehensive private health care), due to his “service” to Queens and the Bronx?? Crowley “inherited” his seat in Congress, and then his Queens Machine forced all viable opposition off the ballot for the next 20 years. He is an autocrat, who lost dismally once who had a viable challenger, (80 percent Ocasio-Cortez to 5 percent Crowley this past Tuesday), she destroyed him in the debates, as he never had to do that before, and was clueless on the issues, and now we are stuck supporting him and his family?
He should borrow from the multi-millions his lobbyist brother , or attorney family, friends earned unethically from Queens courts? Why should we pay?
Crowley will be a burden on this District forever!
Rest in pieces persons born pre 1980 that don’t continually grow and develop their ideas the way the country has and will continue to do so. Had nothing to do with left or right but everything to do with progress.
hUH?
One day I think she will run for President. She represents the present and future of this country. So proud of her! We are all tired of all those old gringos in office.
My parents left Cuba to avoid this and now she will bring communism here!
She will not pass one piece of legislation nor be able to do any good for us. She is clueless . Cant answer a question without changing the subject.
The same way we paid for the Republican tax cut for the wealthy
Socialism has nothing to do with communism. Read and educate your self . We already have socialism. Socialism isn’t the enemy . It’s the implementation. Of it
Socalism died novemeber 9th 2016 . Read up on current events papi
Run for What??? A brothel?
???♀️
Her political agenda is grounded in fantasy, unfortunately. People are so starved for change that they would follow the devil so long as it’s not the status quo and even if it follows the same path as those that followed communist leanings in the 20th century. I too would welcome change, but sadly do not believe this is the right kind. Those that do, I fear are simply “Useful idiots” (Lenin’s words not mine).
We shall see. Many progressives around the country the country think Medicare for all and student debt relief are good ideas (btw those are not communist ideas and other western democracies achieve these goals) – but at least Ocasio-Cortez won democratically and got rid of corrupt Crowley – who could support his corruption? He used his power to get himself and family rich ? !! No matter what your view of Ocasio-Cortez, anything is better than Crowley ?? Once Washington Dems like Pelosi found out about the intimidated others and stayed in office illegitimately for 20 years – doubt he would have been speaker. He became is arrogant and focused on his own career – and wealth – good riddance .
A 29 year old woman ran against a entrenched , well funded candidate and won.
GOOD. FOR HER.
That’s why they followed moron idiot trump
Crowley was pretending to be unaware of his supporters running a “mysterious” campaign on his behalf in Queens for the past few months, but-despite all of the underground efforts of the Crowley camp to beat Ocasio-Cortez last night, and Crowley refusing to remove his name from the ballot, she still beat him again, overwhelmingly. People in his District barely knew him He was never legitimately elected here, he was like an autocrat.
Finally democracy reigns in Queens/Bronx. King Crowley and his corrupt Queens Machine are dying out – let democracy finally reign.
A breath of fresh air is sweeping through Queens and the Bronx with the election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her inspiring victory is great for NY, but we also gets rid of Joe Crowley and the Queens Machine, bringing democracy back to the District. Crowley never got elected to Congress legitimately, he “inherited” his seat 20 years ago in backroom deal in Queens, and his Machine intimidated all viable opposition off the ballot against him for the next 20 years!, so he was like an autocrat who never won based on his own talent or ability, and he planned to stay in Congress for life, undemocratically. He also abused his power to enrich cronies and family members, and control the courts. Good riddance to Crowley corruption. Ocasio-Cortez won her seat in Congress legitimately last night – Crowley never did that.
It’s a good day for democracy in our District.
What a disgrace that a closet communist is now representing Astoria!
All these “communist” allegations against Ocasio-Cortez from the Crowley camp are pathetic- he had the same stances as she does , she forced him to be more progressive – he had no ethics , he would just say whatever he needed to say , to stay in office – he expected to sit there for life .
she is not a closet communist, she is a full blown communist! #NotMyCongressWoman
So someone that was elected by democracy and supports capitalism is also a communist? Do you have any idea what “communist” means at all?