In a Queens-Bronx district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 28, who ran without corporate donations and was outspent 16-to-1, defeated veteran Democrat Joe Crowley in the Tuesday, June 26, 2018, primary. Ocasio-Cortez is virtually guaranteed to win the heavily Democratic district against a token GOP opponent in November.
Ocasio-Cortez ran as a progressive-socialist left of the mainstream Democratic Party on a platform calling for universal health care, a federal job guarantee, and abolition of ICE. She built a strong grassroots campaign, while Crowley appeared to stumble in his campaign. The New York Times had warned Crowley, who hadn’t faced a primary challenge in 14 years, against taking his constituents for granted.
Crowley’s defeat removes a potential challenger to Nancy Pelosi for the speakership if Democrats win a House majority in November. All the higher-ranking House Democrats are considered too old for the job.
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