'Seismic Political Upset': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a Landslide Over Wall Street Favorite Joe Crowley

Overcoming a flood of corporate money and New York’s powerful establishment machine with tireless grassroots organizing and an ambitious progressive agenda of Medicare for All, housing as a human right, and abolishing ICE, 28-year-old democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez toppled Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th congressional district on Tuesday in what is being hailed as the biggest political upset of 2018.

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“The message that we sent the world tonight is that it is not okay to put donors before your community.”
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“This is a grassroots victory, this is a testament to the power of organizing, this is a testament to the power of knocking on your neighbor’s door, of picking up a phone, of believing and taking on power even though they say that it cannot be beaten,” Ocasio-Cortez said following her 15-point landslide win. “Anything can be accomplished when we knock on our neighbor’s door and choose to believe and stand up for our values.”

With nearly every vote counted, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Crowley handily, with a margin of 57 percent to 42 percent.

“The message that we sent the world tonight is that it is not okay to put donors before your community,” Ocasio-Cortez added in her victory speech late Tuesday. “The message that we sent tonight is that improved and expanded Medicare for All, healthcare for every single person in America is what we deserve as a nation.”

Having never run a political campaign before deciding to take on Crowley—a Wall Street favorite viewed by many as the likely successor of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)—Ocasio-Cortez was virtually unknown on the national stage until a viral campaign video and progressive journalists committed to covering her efforts brought widespread attention to her working-class background and inspiring message.

Even though Crowley outraised her by a 10-1 margin and secured the endorsements of New York Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign demonstrated that the barriers thrown up by the corporate-political establishment can be overcome with a “strong grassroots movement of organizers” and a bold platform.