From Citizendium - Reading time: 3 min
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | |
|---|---|
| Other names | AOC |
| Born | 1989 |
| Occupation | legislator |
| Predecessor | Joe Crowley |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the United States Congress's House of Representatives from New York state's 14th District.[1] When she was elected to her first term she was the youngest woman ever elected.
Ocasio-Cortez was a volunteer for Bernie Sanders 2016 re-election campaign.[1] After his re-election she took a trip to Standing Rock, South Dakota, to join individuals protesting the construction of a petroleum pipeline.
In 2018 she decided to make a challenge from within the Democratic Party of a long-term Democratic incumbent, Joe Crowley, at the party primary.[1] She thought enough constituents had grown dissatisfied with his performance that she could win the primary and be selected her party's candidate for the 14th District. Her success surprised some observers. Ocasio-Cortez would later say some members of her party were cold to her, when she arrived in Washington, because they were unhappy that she unseated their friend Crowley.[2]
Her supporters see her as an articulate, dedicated individual with a promising career. Some senior members of her party, the Democratic Party seem to see her as brash, impatient, and insufficiently deferential to their greater experience.[3] Some of her Republican Party challengers have used sexist and demeaning language when referring to her.
During her first term Ocasio-Cortez introduced 23 bills.[1]
Ocasio-Cortez described feeling fearful during the January 6, 2021 attempt to subvert Congress's certification of the votes from the 2020 Presidential election.[2] She described fearing that angry rioters would rape her, prior to killing her.
At least one rioter sent messages to social media, calling for her to be assassinated.[4][5]