Representative Joe Crowley, one of the most strong and influential leader of the Democratic Party in New York state, was beaten by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28 years old Democratic Socialist, in the state’s 14th Congressional District election. Crowley, a long time incumbent, is ranked number four in Democrat House. He was touted as a potential successor to Nancy Pelosi but the defeat poured cold water over his plan.

Ocasio Cortez was able to pull off one of the most stunning upsets of the decade. She won 57% of the total votes. The Crowley’s defeat came as a shocker to the Democrat establishment and the mainstream media.

How did it happen?

Ocasio Cortez is a Latina, born to working class parents of Puerto Rican ancestry, Democratic Socialist leader. She stormed into the scenes of national politics when she volunteered for Bernier Sanders 2016 Presidential Campaign. During her protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, she was approached by a newly formed organization called Brand New Congress. She was asked to fight in the election.

She started her election campaign while working as a bartender until February. She used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to reach out to the voter base especially millennials. Her campaign ad, produced on a budget less than $10,000, went viral and was watched half-a-million times. Being a Latina and a native of Bronx, her ad clearly resonated with the people of Bronx and Queens. The narrative of the campaign was well crafted. At the start of the campaign video, she tells about her family background emphasizing her Latino identity. She projected herself as a regular working class New Yorker who struggles in her daily life getting burdened by low income, high coast healthcare, and housing and education loans. “Women like me aren’t supposed to run for office,” she said in the video. “This race is about people versus money and we’ve got people and they’ve got money.”

Campaign Ad:

The public loves an underdog. As the campaign played out, the narrative turned into “David versus Goliath”. Crowley gained Goliath image and he was seen as a rich and an arrogant white Democrat taking voters for granted. Since Bronx and Queens is a majority-minority district, the demographics helped her winning the election.

Ocasio Cortez’s campaign advocated for issues including Medicare for all, Federal Jobs Guarantee, $15 minimum wage, private prisons ban and abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She supports tuition-free and a one-time policy of student debt cancellation. She wants strict gun control. Some of the issues are undoubtedly far-left wing ideas. In her various interviews, she comes across as an unapologetic leftist. In a panel discussion on MSNBC, she said they needed a very clear voice which deserves representation that rejected lobbyist funds and puts the voters’ interests first.

In an interview to Vogue magazine, when she was asked what drew her to Democratic Socialism, she said that “to me, what socialism means is to guarantee a basic level of dignity. It is about direct representation and people actually having power and stake over their economic and social wellness.”

Her far-left socialist ideas like abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement are not going to cut ice with conservative Democrats. Even Bernie Sanders refused to support the call for abolishing ICE. On Ocasio-Cortez’s win, Nancy Pelosi said they made a choice in one district and should not get carried away. Pelosi has dismissed the rise of the socialists within the Democratic Party.

 The socialist ideas like Federal Jobs Guarantee, free college tuition, Medicare, housing and strict gun control are gaining wide acceptance among young Americans and non-white voters. Since Mid-Term elections are around the corner, the question “What does Ocasio-Cortez’s victory mean for the Democratic Party?” has become one of the hot topics of the political debates.

So, what will be the future of the Democratic Party? Is it really going to be socialist? These questions will soon be answered in the upcoming Mid-Terms polls.

References:-

1. https://ocasio2018.com

2. https://www.vogue.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-interview-primary-election

3. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/06/24/sotu-sanders-ice.cnn