Former New York Rep. Joe Crowley left the door open on a potential rematch against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2020.
In 2018, Ocasio-Cortez shocked many when she defeated Crowley, who was a high-ranking incumbent, in the Democratic Primary. During an interview on Fox & Friends on Thursday, Crowley refused to say whether he would enter the 2020 race in an attempt to win back his old seat.
“Look, right now, I’m enjoying myself working with [former Speaker John] Boehner. And I’ll never say never to anything in life,” Crowley said. “You know, I’m still fairly young. I’m 57. I have a good life ahead of me.”
Crowley has been working with Boehner to address failing joint pension programs that put the retirement of thousands of workers at risk. He said he finds his private sector work “very fulfilling, especially working with big John.”
Crowley tiptoed around criticizing Ocasio-Cortez, but he did comment on her recent appearance on The View, where the freshman congresswoman was confronted by co-host Whoopi Goldberg over her remarks that seemed to scoff at experienced Democrats.
“I have done a good job, I think, of refraining from making comment about her,” Crowley said. “I will say I have a lot of respect for Whoopi Goldberg and certainly for Nancy Pelosi and for the elders in our party. I think that we could all learn from our elders, and that’s something that’s an old adage, but it’s as meaningful today as it has always been.”
He also declined to say whether he believed “the Squad,” which is made up of liberal Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, has hurt his party. He claimed the Democratic Party is a “big tent” party that needs to include people from all beliefs.
If Crowley did enter the race, he faces an already crowded field of more than a dozen candidates hoping to defeat Ocasio-Cortez.
The 30-year-old freshman congresswoman captured the nation’s attention when she defeated Crowley and rapidly became one of the biggest names in the party. She gave her presidential endorsement to Bernie Sanders, who said he would have a “very important role” for her in his administration if he wins.
