Ocasio-Cortez was born in theParkchester neighborhood ofthe Bronx,[13] aborough of New York City, on October 13, 1989, the daughter of Sergio Ocasio-Roman and Blanca Ocasio-Cortez (née Cortez).[14] She has a younger brother named Gabriel.[15] Her father wasborn in the Bronx to a Puerto Rican family and became an architect; her mother was born in Puerto Rico.[16][17][18] The family lived in an apartment in Parkchester[17] until Ocasio-Cortez was five, when they moved to a house in suburbanYorktown Heights.[17][19] She said that her family raised enough money to buy a small home there so that she could go to school, and that her mother worked as a house cleaner in the town.[20]
Her father died of lung cancer in 2008, during her second year of college,[28][29] and Ocasio-Cortez became involved in a lengthyprobate dispute to settle his estate. She has said that the experience helped her learn "first-hand how attorneys appointed by the court to administer an estate can enrich themselves at the expense of the families struggling to make sense of the bureaucracy".[30] During college, Ocasio-Cortez was an intern for U.S. senatorTed Kennedy, in his section on foreign affairs and immigration issues.[31] In interviews, she said that she was the only Spanish speaker in the office and the sole person responsible for assisting Spanish-speaking constituents.[31][32][33] Ocasio-Cortez graduatedcum laude[34] fromBoston University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree ininternational relations and economics.[35][32][36]
Early career
After college, Ocasio-Cortez moved back to the Bronx and took a job as a bartender and waitress to help her mother—a house cleaner and school bus driver—fightforeclosure of their home.[37][38] She later launched Brook Avenue Press, a now-defunct publishing firm for books that portrayed the Bronx in a positive light.[39][40] Ocasio-Cortez also worked for the nonprofitNational Hispanic Institute.[27][41][42]
During the 2016primary, Ocasio-Cortez worked as an organizer forBernie Sanders's presidential campaign.[43] After the general election, she traveled across America by car, visiting places such asFlint, Michigan, and theStanding Rock Indian Reservation inNorth Dakota, and speaking to people affected by theFlint water crisis and theDakota Access Pipeline.[44] In an interview, she recalled her December 2016 visit toStanding Rock as a tipping point, saying that until then she had believed that the only way to run for office effectively was to have access to wealth, social influence, and power. But her visit toNorth Dakota, where she saw others "putting their whole lives and everything that they had on the line for the protection of their community", inspired her to begin to work for her own community.[45] One day after she visited North Dakota, she got a phone call fromBrand New Congress, which was recruiting progressive candidates (her brother had nominated her soon after Election Day 2016).[46] Ocasio-Cortez said she was first exposed to theDemocratic Socialists of America (DSA) when a friend brought her to a local meeting inWashington Heights. She has creditedJabari Brisport's unsuccessfulCity Council campaign with restoring her belief in electoral politics, in running as asocialist candidate, and in the DSA as an organization.[47]
Ocasio-Cortez's congressional campaign logo was inspired by "revolutionary posters and visuals from the past".[48]
Ocasio-Cortez began her campaign in April 2017[8] while waiting tables and tending bar at Flats Fix, ataqueria in New York City'sUnion Square.[49] "For 80 percent of this campaign, I operated out of a paper grocery bag hidden behind that bar," she toldBon Appétit.[50] She was the first person since 2004 to challengeJoe Crowley, theDemocratic Caucus Chair, in the primary. She faced a financial disadvantage, saying, "You can't really beat big money with more money. You have to beat them with a totally different game."[51][52][30] Ocasio-Cortez's campaign undertookgrassroots mobilization and did not take donations from corporations.[8] Her campaign posters' designs were said to have taken inspiration from "revolutionary posters and visuals from the past".[48]
The candidates' only face-to-face encounter during the campaign occurred on a local political talk show,Inside City Hall, on June 15. The format was a joint interview conducted byErrol Louis, whichNY1 characterized as a debate.[53] A debate in the Bronx was scheduled for June 18, but Crowley did not participate. He sent formerNew York City Council memberAnnabel Palma in his place.[54][55][56]
Results of the primary by precinct (Crowley in green, Ocasio-Cortez in blue)
Ocasio-Cortez received 57.13% of the vote (15,897) to Crowley's 42.5% (11,761), defeating the 10-term incumbent by almost 15 percentage points on June 26, 2018.[65] The result shocked many political commentators and analysts and immediately garnered nationwide attention. Many news sources, includingTime,CNN,The New York Times, andThe Guardian mentioned how the win completely defied their predictions and expectations.[43][66][67][6] She was outspent by a margin of 18 to1 ($1.5million to $83,000) but won the endorsement of some influential groups on the party's left.[68] Crowley conceded defeat on election night,[69] but did not telephone Ocasio-Cortez that night to congratulate her, fueling short-lived speculation that he intended to run against her in the general election.[70]
Bernie Sanders andNoam Chomsky congratulated her.[71][72] Several commentators noted the similarities between Ocasio-Cortez's victory over Crowley andDave Brat'sTea Party movement-supported 2014 victory over House majority leaderEric Cantor in the Republican primary forVirginia's 7th congressional district.[73][74] Like Crowley, Cantor was a high-ranking member in his party's caucus.[75] After her primary win, Ocasio-Cortez endorsed several progressive primary challengers to Democratic incumbents nationwide.[76][77]
Without campaigning for it, Ocasio-Cortez won theReform Party primary as awrite-in candidate in a neighboring congressional district,New York's 15th, with a total vote count of nine, highest among all 22 write-in candidates. She declined the nomination.[78][79]
General election
Ocasio-Cortez faced Republican nominee Anthony Pappas in the November 6 general election.[80] Pappas, an economics professor, did not actively campaign. The 14th district has aCook Partisan Voting Index of D+29, making it New York City's sixth-most Democratic district, with registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans almost six to one.[81][82]
Ocasio-Cortez was endorsed by various politicallyprogressive organizations and figures, including former presidentBarack Obama and U.S. senatorBernie Sanders.[83][84] She spoke at theNetroots Nation conference in August 2018, and was called "the undisputed star of the convention".[85]
Crowley remained on the ballot as the nominee of theWorking Families Party (WFP) and theWomen's Equality Party (WEP). Neither he nor the WFP party actively campaigned, both having endorsed Ocasio-Cortez after the Democratic primary.[86] Ocasio-Cortez called the WEP, which Governor Cuomo created ahead of the2014 New York gubernatorial election, a cynical, centrist group that endorsed male incumbents over female challengers like her andCynthia Nixon.[87] Former Connecticut senatorJoe Lieberman, who won reelection in 2006 on a third-party lineafter losing the Democratic primary in 2006, penned a July 17 column in theWall Street Journal expressing hope that Crowley would actively campaign on the WFPballot line.[88] WFP executive director Dan Cantor wrote an endorsement of, and apology to, Ocasio-Cortez for theNew York Daily News; he asked voters not to vote for Crowley if his name remained on the general election ballot.[89]
Ocasio-Cortez won the election with 78% of the vote (110,318) to Pappas's 14% (17,762). Crowley, on the WFP and WEP lines, received 9,348 votes (6.6%).[90] Her election was part of a broader Democratic victory in the 2018 midterm elections, as the party gained control of the House by picking up 41 seats.[91]Saikat Chakrabarti, who had been her campaign co-chair, becamechief of staff for her congressional office.[92] His departure in 2019 drew considerable speculation as to whether Ocasio-Cortez was trying to implement a more moderate strategy.[93]
Media coverage
The first media network to give Ocasio-Cortez a platform and extensively cover her campaign and policies wasThe Young Turks, a left-wing online news program.[8] After her primary win, she quickly garnered nationwide media attention, including numerous articles and TV talk-show appearances.[94][95] She also drew a great amount of media attention when she and Sanders campaigned forJames Thompson inKansas in July 2018.[96] A rally inWichita had to be moved from a theater with a capacity of 1,500 when far more people said they would attend. The event drew 4,000 people, with some seated on the floor.[97] InThe New Yorker, Benjamin Wallace-Wells wrote that while Sanders remained "thede-facto leader of an increasingly popular left, [he is unable to] do things that do not come naturally to him, like supply hope." Wallace-Wells suggested that Ocasio-Cortez had made Sanders's task easier, as he could point to her success to show that ideas "once considered to be radical are now part of the mainstream".[97]
Until she defeated incumbentJoe Crowley in the 2018 Democratic primary, Ocasio-Cortez received little coverage on most traditional news media outlets.[98][99]Jimmy Dore interviewed her when she first announced her candidacy in June 2017.[100] After her primary win,Brian Stelter wrote that progressive-media outlets, such asThe Young Turks andThe Intercept, "saw the Ocasio-Cortez upset coming" in advance.[74]Margaret Sullivan wrote inThe Washington Post that traditional metrics of measuring a campaign's viability, like total fundraising, were contributing to a "media failure" and that "they need to get closer to what voters are thinking and feeling: their anger and resentment, their disenfranchisement from the centers of power, their pocketbook concerns."[99]
Ocasio-Cortez's campaign was featured on the cover of the June 2018 edition ofThe Indypendent,[101][102] a free New York City-based monthly newspaper. In a tweet, she hailed the cover appearance on "NYC's classic monthly" as an important breakthrough for her campaign.[103] Otherwise Ocasio-Cortez was barely mentioned in print until her primary win.[104]
In an attempt to embarrass Ocasio-Cortez just before she took office, Twitter user "AnonymousQ" shared a video dating to Ocasio-Cortez's college years: aBoston University student-produced dance video in which she briefly appeared.[107] Many social media users came to her defense, inspiring memes and a Twitter account syncing the footage to songs like "Mambo No. 5" and "Gangnam Style".[108] Ocasio-Cortez responded by posting a video of herself dancing toEdwin Starr's "War" outside her congressional office.[107]
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera challenged Ocasio-Cortez in the 2020 Democratic primary.[116] After Ocasio-Cortez won the nomination, Caruso-Cabrera reorganized and ran in the general election as theServe America Movement nominee.[117] Ocasio-Cortez's Republican challengers in the general election included nominee John Cummings, a former police officer, andAntoine Tucker, awrite-in candidate.[117][118]
TheAmerican Prospect wrote in October 2020 that Ocasio-Cortez was "spending the 2020 campaign running workshops" for constituents on workplace organizing, fighting eviction, and organizing childcare.[119] They noted that Ocasio-Cortez was often not featured in the streamed workshops, saying the "strategy decentralizes the candidate from her own campaign".[119]
Ocasio-Cortez ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.[127] She defeated Republican Tina Forte andConservative Party nominee Desi Cuellar in the general election.[128]
In May, the DSA debated whether to endorse Ocasio-Cortez. Some members argued that she was more committed to the Democratic Party and that her positions on Palestine had become weaker.[129] On June 23, the DSA National Political Committee (NPC) voted to endorse her so long as she fulfilled its list of demands, most concerning Palestine.[130] TheNew York City chapter, which endorsed her, rejected the deal. On July 10, the NPC withdrew its endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez, citing her participation in a panel that conflatedantisemitism withanti-Zionism, her support for a resolution that characterized denial of Israel'sright to exist as antisemitism, and a co-signed press release in support of theIron Dome defense system.[131][132]
Investment banker Marty Dolan, a moderate Democrat, ran against Ocasio-Cortez in the primary. Ocasio-Cortez won overwhelmingly.[133]
Ocasio-Cortez again easily won the general election against Forte.[134] Some voters in her districtsplit their tickets, voting for Ocasio-Cortez and forTrump in thepresidential election.[135]Harris won 65% of the district's vote and Trump 33%, an increase from 2020. A political analyst said this was because both Trump and Ocasio-Cortez "were leading with the message of working-class pocketbook issues".[136] Ocasio-Cortez asked those who split their tickets why they did so; some said that they both cared about the working class and were "less establishment", while others cited theGaza war and the economy.[137]
When the 116th Congress convened on January 3, 2019, Ocasio-Cortez entered with noseniority but with a large social media presence.Axios credited her with "as much social media clout as her fellow freshman Democrats combined".[139] Since June 2024[update], she has 13.1millionX (formerly Twitter) followers,[140][non-primary source needed] up from 1.4 million in November 2018.[139] As of January 2025, she has 8.4 million followers onInstagram[141][non-primary source needed] and 1.8 million on Facebook.[142] Ocasio-Cortez is also the most followed user onBluesky, with 2 million followers as of March 2025.[143][144][145] Her colleagues appointed her to teach them social media lessons upon her arrival in Congress.[146] In July 2019, two lawsuits were filed against her for blockingJoey Salads andDov Hikind on Twitter in light of theSecond Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that it was a violation of theFirst Amendment forPresident Trump to block people on Twitter.[147][148] On November 4, 2019, it was announced that the lawsuit had been settled; Ocasio-Cortez issued an apology.[149][150]
In a 2019 interview, Ocasio-Cortez said she had stopped using her private Facebook account and was minimizing her usage of all social media accounts and platforms, calling them a "public health risk".[151][152]
Arrival
In November 2018, on the first day of congressional orientation, Ocasio-Cortez participated in aclimate change protest outside the office ofHouse Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi.[153] Also that month, she backed Pelosi's bid to beSpeaker of the House on the condition that Pelosi "remains the most progressive candidate for speaker".[154]
Ocasio-Cortez and SenatorBernie Sanders in December 2018
When Ocasio-Cortez made her first speech on the floor of Congress in January 2019,C-SPAN tweeted the video. Within 12 hours, the video of her speech set the record as C-SPAN's most-watched Twitter video of a member of theHouse of Representatives.[155]
Hearings
In February 2019, speaking at acongressional hearing with a panel of representatives fromcampaign financewatchdog groups, Ocasio-Cortez questioned the panel about ethics regulations as they apply to both the president and members of Congress. She asserted that no regulations prevent lawmakers "from being bought off by wealthy corporations".[156] With more than 37.5 million views, the clip became the most-watched political video posted on Twitter.[157]
When PresidentDonald Trump's former lawyerMichael Cohen appeared before theOversight Committee in February 2019, Ocasio-Cortez asked him whether Trump had inflated property values for bank or insurance purposes.[158] Cohen's reply implied that Trump may have committedtax andbank fraud.[159][160] The president of theAmerican Constitution Society named Ocasio-Cortez as the committee member best at obtaining specific information from Cohen about Trump's "shady practices, along with a road map for how to find out more".[161]New York Times columnistDavid Brooks praised her skill in questioning Cohen.[162] The exchange between Ocasio-Cortez and Cohen prompted an investigation byNew York attorney generalLetitia James, who referred to it in August 2020 when filing legal action to compel Trump's companies to comply with subpoenas about financial information, and to compel his sonEric Trump to testify.[163] Further developments as a result of the exchange saw James form acivil investigation and lawsuit againstthe Trump Organization regarding potential financial fraud, which resulted in a fine of $354 million and a ban on Trump doing business in New York for two to three years.[164][165][166]
According to reports in March 2019, Ocasio-Cortez continued to receive media coverage early in her congressional tenure on par with that of2020 presidential candidates[167] and was considered "one of the faces of the Democratic party"[168] and one of the most talked-about politicians in the United States.[169] Between July8 and 14, 2019, she drew more social media attention than the Democratic presidential candidates. Tracking companyNewsWhip found that interactions with news articles on Ocasio-Cortez numbered 4.8 million, while no Democratic presidential candidate got more than 1.2 million. David Bauder of theAssociated Press wrote that Trump's supporters were thus having "some success" in having "Ocasio-Cortez be top of mind when people think of" the Democratic Party.[170]
According to aMedia Matters for America study, Ocasio-Cortez was intensely discussed on sister television channelsFox News andFox Business, being mentioned every day from February 25 to April 7, 2019, for a total of 3,181 mentions in 42 days.The Guardian'sDavid Smith wrote that this is evidence that Fox is "obsessed by Ocasio-Cortez, portraying her as a radical socialist who threatens the American way of life".[171]Brian Stelter ofCNN Business found that between January and July 2019, she had nearly three times as many mentions onFox News as onCNN andMSNBC. Stelter wrote that the attention Ocasio-Cortez is receiving has caused "the perception, particularly on the right, that her positions and policies are representative of the Democratic Party as a whole".[172] In March 2019,Time Magazine said Ocasio-Cortez was the "second-most talked about politician" in the United States, after Trump, and called her "theWonder Woman of the left".[94]
In March 2019,PolitiFact reported that Ocasio-Cortez is "one of the most targeted politicians for hoax claims, despite the fact that she just entered Congress as a freshman". Fake quotes attributed to her, fake photos of her, and false rumors about her have spread on social media. Some of these have originated from4chan andr/The_Donald.[173] By July 2019, the fake material included attributing things Trump said to Ocasio-Cortez, such as "I have a very good brain and I've said lots of things."[174] On July 18, 2019, Charlie Rispoli, a police officer fromGretna, Louisiana, posted on Facebook an apparent threat to shoot Ocasio-Cortez, calling her a "vile idiot" who "needs a round, and I don't mean the kind she used to serve" as a bartender. Rispoli posted the comment in response to afake news article that falsely quoted Ocasio-Cortez as saying, "We pay soldiers too much".[175] Rispoli was fired for his post and his Facebook account was deleted.[176]
Ocasio-Cortez is known to wear red lipstick, usually by the American makeup brandStila Cosmetics in the shade "Beso", as a style trait ofLatina women from the Bronx.[177] In a skincare tutorial forVogue, she explained that beauty and femininity are important to her because these things are often used against women in politics and society, and thatself-love is like a "mini protest" againstmisogynistic critiques.[178]
Met Gala appearance
Graphic representation of the Tax the Rich print from AOC's Met Gala dress
Ocasio-Cortez attended the 2021Met Gala, which had the theme "In America: aLexicon of Fashion". The Met Gala is an annual fundraiser for theMetropolitan Museum of Art that is overseen byVogue editor-in-chiefAnna Wintour, who selects every invitee and designer pairing. Ocasio-Cortez wore anorganza gown emblazoned with the phrase "Tax the Rich". As an elected official in New York City, she was considered a guest of the museum, and as such did not have to buy a ticket, which costs persons other than elected officials at least$35,000 (equivalent to about $41,000 in 2024). In response, Ocasio-Cortez said her critics were using a sexist double standard and that she "punctured the fourth wall of excess and spectacle". DesignerAurora James also said the extremely wealthy people in attendance needed to see the message in person.[179]
In September 2021, theAmerican Accountability Foundation filed an ethics complaint against Ocasio-Cortez for attending the Met Gala. The AAF claimed that her attendance amounted to accepting an illegal gift since her estimated $35,000 ticket was paid for byCondé Nast, a for-profit company, not a charity.[180][181][182] In July 2025, theHouse Ethics Committee found that Ocasio-Cortez violated House rules by failing to pay the full market value for her attire, accessories, and services, and by improperly accepting free admission to the gala for her fiancé, during her attendance at the gala; although she proactively attempted to comply with ethics requirements and there was no evidence of willful misconduct, she was ordered to pay approximately $3,000 to settle the matter and avoid being sanctioned.[183][184]
Ocasio-Cortez is a member of an informal group ofprogressive members of Congress called "the Squad", initially includingIlhan Omar,Ayanna Pressley, andRashida Tlaib.[185] On July 14, 2019, Trump attacked the Squad (which had only four members at the time) in a tweet, saying that they should "go back and help fix" the countries they came from rather than criticize the American government.[186] He continued to make similar comments over the next several days, even though three of the women, including Ocasio-Cortez, were born in the United States. Ocasio-Cortez responded in a tweet that "the President's words [yesterday], telling four American Congresswomen of color 'go back to your own country' ishallmark language ofwhite supremacists."[187] She later added, "We don't leave the things that we love, and when we love this country, what that means is that we propose the solutions to fix it."[188] Days later, Trump falsely asserted that Ocasio-Cortez called "our country and our people 'garbage'"; she had actually said that Americans should not be content with moderate policies that are "10% better from garbage".[189] Trump also falsely claimed that Ocasio-Cortez said "illegal immigrants are more American" than Americans who tried to keep them out; she actually said that "women and children on that border that are trying to seek refuge and opportunity" in America "are acting more American" than those who tried to keep them out.[190] The Squad grew in 2020, 2022, and 2024, withJamaal Bowman,Cori Bush,Greg Casar,Summer Lee, andDelia Ramirez joining.[191]
H. Res. 109: "Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal"; the first piece of legislation authored by Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortez submitted her first piece of legislation,the Green New Deal, to the House on February 7, 2019. She and SenatorEd Markey released a jointnon-binding resolution laying out the main elements of a 10-year "economic mobilization" that "would phase outfossil fuel use and overhaul the nation's infrastructure."[192] Their plan called for implementing the "social cost of carbon" that was part of theObama administration's plans toaddress climate change. In the process it aimed to create jobs.[192] According toCNBC, an initial outline the Green New Deal called for "completely ditching fossil fuels, upgrading or replacing 'every building' in the country and 'totally overhaul[ing] transportation' to the point where 'air travel stops becoming necessary'". The outline set a goal of having the United States "creating 'net zero' greenhouse gases in 10 years. Why 'net zero'? The lawmakers explained: 'We set a goal to get to net-zero, rather than zero emissions, in 10 years because we aren't sure that we'll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast.'"[193] Activist groups such asGreenpeace and theSunrise Movement came out in favor of the plan. No Republican lawmakers voiced support.[194][195] The plan gained support from some Democratic senators, includingElizabeth Warren,Bernie Sanders andCory Booker;[196] other Democrats, such as SenatorDianne Feinstein and House speakerNancy Pelosi, dismissed the proposal (Pelosi has referred to it as "the green dream, or whatever they call it").[197]
On March 26, Senate Republicans called for an early vote on the Green New Deal without allowing discussion or expert testimony. Markey said Republicans were trying to "make a mockery" of the debate and called the vote a "sham". In protest, Senate Democrats voted "present" or against the bill, resulting in a 57–0 defeat on the Senate floor.[198][199]
In March 2019, a group of UKactivists proposed that theLabour Party adopt a similar plan, "Labour for a Green New Deal". The group said it was inspired by theSunrise Movement and the work Ocasio-Cortez has done in the US.[200]
On July 20, 2020, U.S. representativesTed Yoho andRoger Williams accosted Ocasio-Cortez on theCapitol steps, where Yoho (as overheard by a journalist) called her "disgusting" and told her "You are out of your freaking mind" for recently suggesting that poverty and unemployment were driving a spike in crime in New York City during theCOVID-19 pandemic amid her ongoing advocacy for cutting police budgets. Ocasio-Cortez told Yoho that he was being "rude". As she walked away from Yoho into the Capitol, Yoho called her a "fucking bitch".[201][202] Yohoaddressed the matter on the House floor and, without naming Ocasio-Cortez, apologized for the "abrupt manner of the conversation" with her, claiming that "offensive name calling, words attributed to me by the press, were never spoken to my colleagues", and concluding: "I cannot apologize for my passion".[203][204] Ocasio-Cortezresponded with a speech saying that the incident was emblematic of a "culture ... accepting of violence and violent language against women ... In using that language, in front of the press, he gave permission to use that language against his wife, his daughters, women in his community, and I am here to stand up to say that is not acceptable."[205][206]
In November 2021, RepresentativePaul Gosar posted a version of thetitle sequence of theanime seriesAttack on Titan on social media that he had edited with the faces of Ocasio-Cortez,Joe Biden, and himself superimposed on the show's characters, depicting Gosar attacking them with swords and killing Ocasio-Cortez. SpeakerNancy Pelosi called for law enforcement and theHouse Ethics Committee to investigate it as a threat.[207] Pelosi opened discussion on the House floor, saying that Gosar's actions demanded a response: "We cannot have members joking about murdering each other or threatening the president of the United States. This is both an indictment of our elected officials and an insult to the institution of the House of Representatives. It's not just about us as members of Congress. It is a danger that it represents to everyone in the country."[208] When Republican House members refused to condemn the video, Ocasio-Cortez responded that she believed the video was "part of a pattern that normalizes violence", adding, "I believe this is a part of a concerted strategy and I think it's very important for us to draw a strict line a strong line for material consequence". She gave a six-minute floor speech, saying, "This is not about me. This is not about Representative Gosar. This is about what we're willing to accept." The House voted tocensure Gosar, mostly along party lines. The last time the House censured a lawmaker was in 2010.[209][210]
In a nearly 90-minuteInstagram Live video made in February 2021,[211] Ocasio-Cortez said that she had previously experiencedsexual assault, and recounted her experience of fear during the2021 storming of the United States Capitol, when she was in her office (in theCannon House Office Building).[212] She said she had hidden in her office bathroom before being startled by aCapitol Police officer who entered her office suite and shouted "Where is she?" before ordering her and her staff to evacuate to a different House Office Building. Ocasio-Cortez said the officer did not self-identify, and said she first believed the officer's voice was that of an attacker. She described sheltering in place in RepresentativeKatie Porter's office and preparing for what she believed would be an assault by rioters on their offices.[213][214] She said, "I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die."[215]
Second Trump administration
Ocasio-Cortez gave her first major convention speech in aprimetime slot at the2024 Democratic National Convention.[216] She expressed support for theHarris–Walz campaign and heavily criticizedTrump, calling him aunion buster who would "sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends". Ocasio-Cortez addressed theGaza war, saying Harris was "working tirelessly" for a ceasefire and hostage deal.[217] The speech was generally well received.Politico wrote that Ocasio-Cortez was one of the party's "most celebrated stars" and that the establishment acknowledged it.[218][219] The speech also led to speculation about whether Ocasio-Cortez would run for higher office.[220][218]
In December 2024, Ocasio-Cortez made a bid for ranking member of theHouse Oversight Committee, but lost to the more seniorGerry Connolly, 131–84 in the House Democratic Caucus. She emphasized her platform and communication skills while running, while Connolly's supporters highlighted his experience.[221] When Connolly announced he was leaving his position in May because his cancer was returning, Ocasio-Cortez declined to run again, saying, "It's actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority".[222]
In February 2025, "border czar"Tom Homan called Ocasio-Cortez "the dumbest congresswoman ever" and accused her of "educat[ing] criminal illegal aliens" after her efforts to teach people their rights, separately suggesting that she could be "in trouble" legally. She responded by saying that "this is why you fight these cowards", arguing her efforts were protected under theFourth Amendment.[223]
In March, Ocasio-Cortez spoke out against thefederal budget proposal, saying it would empower Trump andElon Musk, and asked Democrats to vote against it. When Schumer announced he would vote for the bill to avoid a government shutdown, she called it "a tremendous mistake" and criticized Senate Democrats for allowing it. Several House Democrats, includingRo Khanna, urged Ocasio-Cortez to primary Schumer in the2028 New York Senate elections.[224][225]
Later in March, Ocasio-Cortez joined Sanders on the "Fighting Oligarchy Tour", giving speeches opposing Trump's policies in multiple cities. She said thatTrump's tariff policy was "disastrous" andmarket manipulation,[226] called Trump's immigration crackdown "authoritarian", criticizedactivist deportations,[227][228] drew attention to economic inequality, and called for the "courage to brawl for the working class". Ocasio-Cortez became increasingly viewed as a possible successor to Sanders and a candidate for the2028 presidential election.[229][230] In the first quarter of 2025, she raised $9.6 million with an average donation of $21, more than she had ever received.[231] In May, Harris called her someone who was "speaking with moral clarity about this moment",[232] Vice PresidentJD Vance told Fox News that Ocasio-Cortez running for president was "the stuff of nightmares",[233] and Trump said that she had charisma but questioned her debating skills.[234] In June, she endorsedZohran Mamdani in theNew York City Democratic mayoral primary.Politico called her endorsements "among the most highly sought for liberal Democrats nationwide" and said that her reach had expanded since the last mayoral race.[235]
Other issues
Ocasio-Cortez looks on as PresidentJoe Biden speaks about the administration's response toHurricane Ida on September 7, 2021.
Ocasio-Cortez reacted to the2021 Texas power crisis by organizing a fundraiser to provide food, water, and shelter to affected Texans. The fundraiser, which began on February 18, raised $2million in its first day[236][237] and $5million by February 21.[238] The money was given to organizations such as theHouston Food Bank and theNorth Texas Food Bank.[238] Ocasio-Cortez also traveled toHouston to help volunteers with recovery.[239]
On April 15, 2021, Ocasio-Cortez and three members of Congress called a press conference to announce a bill that they had introduced to implementpostal bankingpilot programs in rural and low-income urban neighborhoods where millions of households cannot access or afford standardbanking services. Ocasio-Cortez described the families she sees in her urban community who need to rely on check cashing companies that charge exorbitant interest rates due to the absence of mainstream banks. "They'll show up to a check cashing place and imagine cashing your stimulus check...and having 10 to 20% of that check taken away from you."[240]
In September 2022, Ocasio-Cortez was asked about running for president. She said, "I hold two contradictory things [in mind] at the same time. One is just the relentless belief that anything is possible. But at the same time, my experience here has given me a front-row seat to how deeply and unconsciously, as well as consciously, so many people in this country hate women. And they hate women of color. People ask me questions about the future. And realistically, I can't even tell you if I'm going to be alive in September [of 2022]. And that weighs very heavily on me. And it's not just the right wing.Misogyny transcendspolitical ideology: left, right,center."[243]
In May 2023, Ocasio-Cortez was a part of a bipartisan group, includingMatt Gaetz,Brian Fitzpatrick, andRaja Krishnamoorthi, that introduced the "Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act". The act bars members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks.[244]
In June 2024, following reports thatClarence Thomas accepted undisclosed gifts from conservatives, Ocasio-Cortez said the Court was "corrupted by money andextremism" and undemocratic. She and RepresentativeJamie Raskin led a congressional meeting about the Court,[245] and explored options for holding justices accountable.[246] On June 25, they introduced the "High Court Gift Ban Act", which would impose restrictions on the gifts given to justices.[247]
In July 2024, Ocasio-Cortez supported and co-led the "DEFIANCE Act", which would allow people to sue creators and distributors ofnon-consensualdeepfake pornography of themselves, something that had previously been done to her.[248]
On July 1, after theSupreme Court ruled inTrump v. United States that presidents haveimmunity from criminalprosecution for official actions, Ocasio-Cortez announced she would filearticles of impeachment against justices. She said the court was corrupt and that Congress must defend the nation against an "authoritarian capture".[249][250] On July 10, Ocasio-Cortez officially introduced articles of impeachment againstjusticesClarence Thomas andSamuel Alito, co-sponsored by sevenHouse Democrats. The resolution accused the justices of failing torecuse themselves from cases despite personalbias and not disclosing lavish gifts they received. The resolution cited the involvement ofGinni Thomas inattempts to overturn the 2020 election and the presence of "Stop the Steal" symbols on Alito's properties as personal bias.[251] In a statement, she said that corruption in the court had become aconstitutional crisis that threatened democracy.[252][253] Legal experts said the case would likely fail, but was still important because it drew attention to the justices' conduct.[254]
Ocasio-Cortez is a member of theDemocratic Socialists of America[10] and embraces thedemocratic socialist label as part of her political identity. In an interview onNBC'sMeet the Press, she described democratic socialism as "part of what I am. It's not all of what I am. And I think that that's a very important distinction."[267] In response to a question about democratic socialism ultimately calling for an end tocapitalism during aFiring Line interview onPBS, she answered: "Ultimately, we are marching towards progress on this issue. I do think that we are going to see an evolution in our economic system of an unprecedented degree, and it's hard to say what direction that that takes."[268] Later at a conference she said "To me, capitalism is irredeemable."[269] By mid-2024, it was reported that Ocasio-Cortez was increasingly rejecting what she saw as a self-defeating drive forpolitical purity among some on the left, believing that such an approach undermines the ability to achieve policy goals without expanding appeal and political influence.[270]
Ocasio-Cortez has rejectedstate socialism, calling it "undemocratic" and "easily corrupted", but has expressed support forunionization andworker cooperatives.[279] She has argued thatfree-market economies and democratic socialism are compatible, citing cooperatives as a model.[280]
Ocasio-Cortez supports raising the marginaltax rate on top income earners to fund the implementation of her policy goals.[281] She was among the 46 House Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[282] Ocasio-Cortez has called for reducing defense spending.[283] In December 2022, she was the only House Democrat to vote against an omnibus spending package because it increased funding for defense and federal agencies that oversee immigration.[284]
In late 2020, Ocasio-Cortez andRashida Tlaib proposed a public banking bill to encourage creation ofstate andlocal public banks by giving them access to facilities from theFederal Reserve and setting national guidelines onpublic banking.[285] In April 2021, Ocasio-Cortez announced a bill that she and three senators had introduced to implementpostal bankingpilot programs in rural and low-income urban neighborhoods where millions of households cannot access or afford standard banking services.[240]
Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal supporter oflabor rights, including a $15 hourlyfederal minimum wage.[286] In May 2019, she returned to bartending at the Queensboro Restaurant inJackson Heights, Queens, to promote theRaise the Wage Act, which would increase the minimum hourly wage for restaurant servers and other tipped workers from $2.13 to $15. Speaking to restaurant workers, customers and reporters, she criticized an exemption in the U.S. minimum-wage law for restaurants and the service sector that allows them to be paid less than $7.25 per hour, saying, "Any job that pays $2.13 per hour is not a job, it is indentured servitude."[287][288] On January 20, 2021, Ocasio-Cortez skipped theinauguration of Joe Biden to join the2021 Hunts Point Produce Market strike in the Bronx.[289]
In September 2019, Ocasio-Cortez introduced ananti-poverty policy proposal (packaged in a bundle called "A Just Society") that would take into account the cost ofchildcare,health care, and "new necessities" likeInternet access when measuring poverty. The proposal would cap annual rent increases and ensure access to social welfare programs for people with convictions andundocumented immigrants.[290] According to theUS census, about 40million Americans live in poverty.
Ocasio-Cortez has proposed amarginal tax as high as 70% on income above $10million to pay for theGreen New Deal. According to tax experts contacted byThe Washington Post, this tax would bring in extra revenue of $720billion per decade.[291][292] Ocasio-Cortez has opposed and voted against thepay-as-you-go rule supported by Democratic leaders, which requiresdeficit-neutralfiscal policy, with all new expenditures balanced by tax increases or spending cuts. She and RepresentativeRo Khanna have condemned the rule for hamstringing new or expanded progressive policies.[293][294] Drawing a parallel with theGreat Depression, she has argued that the Green New Deal needs deficit spending like the originalNew Deal.[295]
Ocasio-Cortez opposed a planned deal by New York City to giveAmazon.com $3 billion in state and citysubsidies andtax breaks to build a secondary headquarters (Amazon HQ2) that was expected to bring in $27 billion in tax revenue for the city and state, in an area near her congressional district, saying that the city should instead itself invest $3 billion in the district.[296][297][298] Conservative columnistMarc Thiessen argued that "New York does not have $3 billion in cash" it would "give" to Amazon, and that between 25,000 and 40,000 new jobs, in addition to the high-paying tech jobs Amazon would have created, disappeared when Amazon left and "her economic illiteracy is dangerous" because "by helping to drive Amazon away, she did not save New York $3 billion; she cost New York $27 billion."[299] She "boasted" that she was right after Amazon ceased its construction of the HQ2 project inVirginia, which it chose over New York.[300] Theprogressivethink tankData for Progress wrote that New York taxpayers "would be subsidizing Amazon's activities in the city by surrendering $3 billion in would-be tax revenue", that there were "enormous hidden costs associated with Amazon's residence" and that "the argument that the city would not literally pay cash to Amazon is superficial and semantic". Data for Progress also noted that Amazon instead announced it would bring 1,500 jobs to New York without a tax break.[300][301] FormerNew York mayorMike Bloomberg also opposed the tax breaks.[302]
In 2024, Ocasio-Cortez took part in alive-streamedroundtable withFederal Trade Commission chairLina Khan, discussing "efforts to check unlawful corporate power".[303] Later, in response to investor andHarris supporterMark Cuban saying that he wouldn't support keeping Khan, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, "anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will be an out and out brawl".[304]
Ocasio-Cortez speaks on a Green New Deal in front of the Capitol Building in February 2019.
Ocasio-Cortez has called for "more environmentalhardliners in Congress",[295] callingclimate change "the single biggestnational security threat for the United States and the single biggest threat to worldwide industrialized civilization".[305] Referring to a recent United Nationsreport indicating that the effects of climate change could become irreversible unless carbon emissions are reined in within the next 12 years, she has argued thatglobal warming must be addressed immediately to averthuman extinction.[306][307][308]
Ocasio-Cortez's environmental plan, theGreen New Deal, advocates for the United States to transition to anelectrical grid running on100% renewable energy[196] and to end the use offossil fuels within ten years. The changes, estimated to cost roughly $2.5trillion per year, would be financed in part by higher taxes on thewealthy.[309][310][311] She has said she has an "open mind" aboutnuclear power's role in the Green New Deal,[312] but has been criticized for ignoring it in her proposals for the deal.[313][314]
Abipartisan letter by Ocasio-Cortez and seven other lawmakers fiercely criticized theNBA's handling of a controversy involving a tweet byHouston Rockets general managerDaryl Morey supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The lawmakers wrote that the NBA's response not only "sold out an American citizen" but also "reinforces theChinese Communist Party view that those who point to Chineserepression in Hong Kong are as best stating opinions, not facts", as well as being "a betrayal of fundamental American values".[318][319][320]
Ocasio-Cortez criticized the Trump administration for escalatingtensions with Iran, saying it would bring the U.S. into a "military conflict that is completely irresponsible".[324]
Ocasio-Cortez supported theMahsa Amini protests, saying, "Mahsa Amini was senselessly murdered by the same patriarchal and autocratic forces repressing women the world over" and that the "right to choose belongs to us all, fromhijabs toreproductive care".[325]
Ocasio-Cortez condemned theOctober 7 attacks, calling them "horrifying attacks against innocent civilians".[332] She has calledIsrael's subsequent assault on Gaza and theGaza Strip famine agenocide[333] and advocates for halting offensive weapons transfers to Israel because of it.[334][335][336] In 2025, Ocasio-Cortez sponsored the "Block the Bombs Act", which would stop the U.S. from providing Israel with multiple offensive weapons.[337] However, she distinguishes between "offensive" weapons and "defensive" weapons, including the Iron Dome, and does not support ending funding for defensive weapons.[335] She abruptly changed her vote from "no" to "present" on a bill providing funding for the Iron Dome in September 2021,[338] and voted against an amendment that would have ended Iron Dome funding in July 2025.[339] In both instances she faced significant criticism from the left for her votes.[338][339]
When asked what theBiden administration could have done better in the situation, Ocasio-Cortez said it could have enforced its red line on theRafah offensive, investigated its weapons shipments to Israel, provided heavier sanctions in response to the occupation of theWest Bank, and "rein in"Netanyahu.[343] Later, she criticized the Biden administration's support of Israel and again called for an arms embargo.[344]
In June 2022, after theSupreme Court made several consequential rulings and grantedcertiorari toMoore v. Harper, which has a potential impact on future elections, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that the United States was "witnessing a judicialcoup in progress".[350][351] The next month, she claimed the Court had "gone rogue" and that impeachment, expansion, introduction of ethics rules andrecusal requirements should be considered. She added that Thomas should certainly be impeached.[352] Two days later, she led House progressives calling on the Democratic leadership in Congress to strip the Court of its jurisdiction "in the areas of abortion,marriage equality,non-procreative intimacy, andcontraception". They pointed to Thomas's concurring opinion inDobbs, which suggested revisiting cases that established aconstitutional right tocontraception,same-sex marriage, and gay sex.[353]
Pay raises for Congress
In 2019, Ocasio-Cortez supported pay raises for Congress. She wrote, "It's not a fun or politically popular position to take. But consistency is important. ALL workers should get cost of living increases. That's why minimum wage should be pegged to inflation, too."Members of Congress make $174,000 annually; thespeaker makes $223,500 and House leaders make $193,400. RepublicanKevin McCarthy joined her in supporting the pay raise, saying he did not want Congress to be a place where only the wealthy can afford to serve. Colleagues such asJoe Cunningham opposed the measure, saying, "We didn't come up here to give ourselves a raise".[354]
Ocasio-Cortez supported impeaching Trump a second time for hisattempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2021, she said that theTrump–Raffensperger phone call constituted an impeachable offense, and called it a "despicable abuse of power".[357] After January 6, she and many other Democrats co-sponsored an article of impeachment against Trump. Ocasio-Cortez said that Trump should be permanently barred from office and impeached.[358]
Ocasio-Cortez has called for "solidarity withPuerto Rico". She has advocated for granting Puerto Ricans further civil rights, regardless of Puerto Rico's legal classification. She advocates for voting rights and disaster relief. Ocasio-Cortez was critical ofFEMA's response toHurricane Maria and the federal government's unwillingness to addressPuerto Rico's political status.[361] She believes the federal government should increase investment in Puerto Rico.[276] In August 2020, Ocasio-Cortez andNydia Velázquez introduced the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2020, which was referred to theHouse Committee on Natural Resources.[362][363]
On March 18, 2021, Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez and SenatorBob Menendez introduced a new version, the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021,[364] with over 70 co-sponsors in the House and seven co-sponsors in the Senate, including one Republican.[365]
Withdrawal of Biden
After theJune 2024 presidential debate, Ocasio-Cortez, who previously supported Biden during the campaign,[366] said that she had spoken with Biden and that he made clear he was staying in the race. She said that she supported him and that her focus was defeating Republicans in the election.[367][368][369] Later, on July 19, she held anInstagram Live in which she said that replacing Biden was risky and legally challenging, but suggested that nominating Vice PresidentKamala Harris was better than an open convention.[370] When Bidenwithdrew from the race, she endorsed Harris.[371]
Healthcare
Ocasio-Cortez supports transitioning to asingle-payer healthcare system and considers medical care ahuman right.[372][373] She says that a single government health insurer should cover every American, reducing overall costs.[272] Her campaign website says, "Almost every other developed nation in the world hasuniversal healthcare. It's time the United States catch up to the rest of the world in ensuring all people have real healthcare coverage that doesn't break the bank."[373] Many 2020 Democratic presidential candidates adopted the Medicare-for-all proposal.[274]
In June 2019 and in July 2021, Ocasio-Cortez proposed legislation that would remove restrictions placed on researching the medical use ofpsilocybin.[374][375]
In 2024, Ocasio-Cortez said of thekilling ofUnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson: "this is not to say that an act of violence is justified", but "people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them".[376]
Ocasio-Cortez is a vocal opponent of efforts to cutMedicaid. She said that a bill Republicans introduced would result in depriving 13.7 million people of Medicaid and create a situation where "once you are kicked off Medicaid, you then can't even buy your own health insurance", and that private health care premiums would "skyrocket".[377] When Ocasio-Cortez questioned theEnergy and Commerce committee about patients who had aMiscarriage under the bill's working requirements, RepresentativeRandy Weber told her to look toward Republicans and not the camera. She replied, "There are 13.7 million Americans on the other side of that screen there", including in Republican districts, and "they deserve to see what is happening here". Weber then asked her to yield, to which replied, "I will not yield because it was a terribly disrespectful comment, and I will not yield to disrespectful men".[378]
Ocasio-Cortez campaigned in favor of establishing tuition-free public colleges and trade schools. She has said she is still paying offstudent loans herself and wants to cancel allstudent debt.[373]
Immigration
Ocasio-Cortez has expressed support for defunding andabolishing theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on multiple occasions. In February 2018 she called it "a product of theBush-eraPatriot Act suite of legislation" and "an enforcement agency that takes on more of a paramilitary tone every single day".[382][383] That June, she said she would "stop short of fully disbanding the agency", and would rather "create a pathway to citizenship for more immigrants through decriminalization".[384] She later clarified that this does not mean ceasing all deportations.[385] Two days before the primary election, Ocasio-Cortez attended a protest at an ICE child-detention center inTornillo, Texas.[386] She was the only Democrat to vote against H.R. 648, a bill to fund and reopen the government, because it funded ICE.[387]
In June 2019, Ocasio-Cortez compared thedetention centers for undocumented immigrants under theTrump administration at theMexico–United States border to "concentration camps". She cited "expert analysis", linking to anEsquire article quotingAndrea Pitzer, author ofOne Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps, who had made a similar claim.[388][389] Some academics supported Ocasio-Cortez's use of the term for the forced detention of immigrants;[390][391] others strongly criticized it, saying it showed disrespect forHolocaust victims.[392] In response to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats,[393] Ocasio-Cortez said they had conflated concentration camps ("the mass detention of civilians without trial") withdeath camps.[394] She refused to apologize for using the term: "If that makes you uncomfortable, fight the camps, not the nomenclature."[395]
In July 2019, Ocasio-Cortez visited migrant detention centers and other facilities in Texas as part of a congressional delegation to witness the border crisis firsthand. She called the conditions "horrifying". She said that women in one cell said they had not had access to showers for two weeks and were told to drink water from the toilet when their sink broke, and that one woman said that her daughters had been taken from her two weeks earlier and she did not know where they were.[396][397]
In January 2021, Ocasio-Cortez expressed support for the Roadmap to Freedom resolution to guide future immigration policy championed by RepresentativePramila Jayapal. The resolution aims to safeguard vulnerable migrants while reducing criminal prosecutions of migrants.[398]
In February 2021, when the Biden administration reopened aCarrizo Springs, Texas, center to house unaccompanied migrant children, Ocasio-Cortez responded that such actions "never will be okay—no matter the administration or party".[399] For short-term measures to address the situation, she called for mandatory licensing for such centers and urged reconsideration of how the centers are "contracted out".[400]
LGBTQ rights
Ocasio-Cortez is a proponent ofLGBTQ rights and equality. She has said she supports the community and thanked its members for their role in her campaign.[401][276] At the January 2019 New York CityWomen's March inManhattan, Ocasio-Cortez gave a detailed speech in support of measures needed to ensure LGBTQ equality in the workplace and elsewhere.[402] She has also spoken in support oftransgender rights, specifically saying, "Trans rights are civil rights are human rights."[403] Later, she appeared on avideo game live stream to help raise money forMermaids, a UK-based charity for transgender children.[404]
At the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on February 27, 2020, Ocasio-Cortez argued for LGBTQ equality in the context of her religious background. Referencing a Catholic hospital that refused ahysterectomy for a transgender man,[405] she argued, "[t]here is nothing holy about rejecting medical care of people, no matter who they are, on the grounds of what their identity is. There is nothing holy about turning someone away from a hospital."[406][407]
Police funding
When asked what America would look like if it defunded the police, she responded onInstagram:
It looks like a suburb. Affluent white communities already live in a world where they choose to fund youth, health, housing etc more than they fund police. When a teenager or preteen does something harmful in a suburb (I say teen bc this is often where lifelong carceral cycles begin for Black and Brown communities), White communities bend over backwards to find alternatives to incarceration for their loved ones to protect their future, like community service or rehab or restorative measures. Why don't we treat Black and Brown people the same way?[408]
After the death of Ocasio-Cortez's father in 2008, her mother and grandmother moved to Florida due to financial hardship.[16][37] She still has family inPuerto Rico, where her grandfather was living in a nursing home[361] before he died in the aftermath ofHurricane Maria.[419] Ocasio-Cortez has said that "to be Puerto Rican is to be the descendant of... AfricanMoors [and]slaves,Taino Indians, Spanish colonizers, Jewish refugees, and likely others. We are all of these things and something else all at once—we areBoricua."[18] She has said she has someSephardic Jewish ancestry.[420]
Ocasio-Cortez is aCatholic. She discussed her faith and its impact on her life and her campaign forcriminal justice reform in a 2018 article she wrote forAmerica, the magazine of theJesuit order in the United States.[421]
In 2021, thewatchdog groupOpenSecrets, analyzing financial disclosure forms, ranked Ocasio-Cortez one of the least wealthy members of the 116th Congress, with a maximumnet worth of $30,000.[427]
In February 2021, Ocasio-Cortez said that she had beensexually assaulted.[428] That May, she said that she had been inpsychotherapy after theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack, which she called "extraordinarily traumatizing", saying she "did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive".[429]
^Democratic Socialists of America is not a registered political party, instead, it is a political organization for those with democratic socialist ideologies. The national DSA conditionally endorsed Ocasio-Cortez in 2024, but withdrew the endorsement,[2] though she remains endorsed by theNew York City chapter.[3][4]
^"Distinguished Alumni Award".Boston University Arts & Sciences: Economics. 2019.Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. RetrievedNovember 11, 2020.
^Cepeda, Esther J. (January 9, 2019)."Despite Her Haters, Youth Is Not Wasted on Ocasio-Cortez".Chicago Tribune.Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. RetrievedJuly 20, 2020.There will always be people claiming she's 'unqualified', even though Ocasio-Cortez has an undergraduate degree in international relations with a minor in economics and has worked as an educator, a publisher and a community organizer.
^Gstalter, Morgan (July 12, 2018)."Ocasio-Cortez accuses defeated Dem of mounting third-party challenge".The Hill.Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. RetrievedMarch 11, 2019.Crowley stated on live TV that he would absolutely support my candidacy, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Thursday. Instead, he's stood me up for all three scheduled concession calls... Numerous phone calls have been set up but Ocasio-Cortez's aides have failed to follow through with providing a phone number, the aide [to Crowley] said.
^Kilgore, Ed (June 26, 2018)."Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ousts Joe Crowley, a Top House Democrat, in Stunning Upset".New York.Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. RetrievedJune 27, 2018.In a shocker that is already being compared to the 2014 primary loss by then–House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus (the fourth-ranking leadership position among House Democrats), ten-term veteran Joe Crowley has been upset by 28-year-old first-time candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Bronx-Queens 14th congressional district.
^Tarleton, John; McMullan-Laird, Lydia (June 1, 2018)."Beat The Machine"(PDF).The Indypendent.Archived(PDF) from the original on July 22, 2019. RetrievedJuly 22, 2019.
^abGibson, Brittany (October 15, 2020)."The Politician as Organizer".The American Prospect.Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. RetrievedOctober 18, 2020.
^Alter, Charlotte (March 21, 2019)."'Change Is Closer Than We Think.' Inside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Unlikely Rise".Time.Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. RetrievedMarch 28, 2019.Wonder Woman of the left, Wicked Witch of the right, Ocasio-Cortez has become the second most talked-about politician in America, after the President of the United States.... No lawmaker in recent memory has translated so few votes into so much political and social capital so quickly.
^abFriedman, Thomas (January 8, 2019)."The Green New Deal Rises Again".The New York Times.Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2019.The Green New Deal that Ocasio-Cortez has laid out aspires to power the U.S. economy with 100 percent renewable energy within 12 years and calls for "a job guarantee program to assure a living wage job to every person who wants one", "basic income programs" and "universal health care", financed, at least in part, by higher taxes on the wealthy.
^Meyer, Robinson (March 26, 2019)."The 3 Democrats Who Voted Against the Green New Deal".The Atlantic.Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. RetrievedMarch 28, 2019.The Senate rejected the Green New Deal on Tuesday, in a decisive 57–0 vote that Democrats decried as a political stunt meant to divide their caucus. All the Republican senators opposed the measure. They were joined by four senators who caucus with the Democrats – Senator Joe Manchin, from the coal-heavy state of West Virginia, along with SenatorsKyrsten Sinema of Arizona,Doug Jones of Alabama, andAngus King of Maine.
^Battenfield, Joe (March 26, 2019)."Green New Fail as Dems shun GOP-forced vote on climate bill".Boston Herald.Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. RetrievedMarch 27, 2019.an early vote on the Green New Deal on Tuesday and not a single U.S. Senator, including the measure's sponsor, Massachusetts' Ed Markey – signed on to the overly ambitious environmental overhaul
^Kullgren, Ian (July 1, 2018)."Ocasio-Cortez discusses 'Democratic Socialist' label".Politico.Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. RetrievedJuly 16, 2018.Democratic congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday she embraces the 'Democratic Socialist' label but doesn't want to force other Democrats to do the same. 'It's part of what I am; it's not all of what I am,' she said on 'Meet the Press' on NBC. 'And I think that's a very important distinction.'
^Kaufman, Dan (July 7, 2018)."Progressive Populism Can Save Us From Trump".The New York Times.Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2019.The recent primary upset of Joe Crowley, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, showcased the electoral strength of her platform, which included single-payer health insurance and tuition-free college and trade school.
^abSuderman, Peter (August 2, 2018)."How Republican Hypocrisy Lifts Social Democrats".The New York Times.Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2019.Although true-blooded socialists – Democratic Socialists, to be precise – remain a relatively small niche within the Democratic Party, they are having a visible impact on the party's agenda, with nearly every likely 2020 presidential contender embracing Medicare for all. Bernie Sanders's 2016 campaign galvanized progressive support for the idea of Democratic Socialism, and this year, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has embraced not only the label but also a blue-sky vision of American socialism – free public college, a jobs guarantee, guaranteed family leave and more – unbound by moderate liberal worries about government overreach or overspending.
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