Long shot challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bested Queens congressman Joe Crowley in a shocking upset Tuesday night. By the time the Associated Press called the race for Ocasio, the 28-year-old activist and democratic socialist had overwhelmed Crowley 58-42.
He was the establishment favorite, having served in Congress since 1999, and his name often came up among probable successors to Nancy Pelosi. Ocasio for her part received such minimal mainstream media attention that headlines referred to her simply as “Crowley’s challenger” the day before the primary, even after a mutual endorsement from gubernatorial primary challenger Cynthia Nixon.
Ocasio visited the border over the weekend, spending the final days before the primary half a continent away from the majority minority district she’s competing to represent. She benefited recent months from an emotionally compelling campaign video.
Her victory is a promising sign for Cynthia Nixon, the progressive activist and TV star who’s making a run at two-term incumbent Andrew Cuomo.
A statement from Nixon Tuesday night compared the two campaigns: “This is what happens when you give people a choice. They show up and they reject the status quo,” the statement read. “They reject the career politicians who have been financed by big banks, luxury real estate developers, and multigenerational political machines.” (Crowley’s uncle was a city councilor.) “They choose a progressive woman who rejected corporate money, and ran a grassroots campaign that envisions a progressive New York that serves the many, not just the few.”
When reached for comment Tuesday night, a member of Cynthia Nixon’s campaign was sanguine about what Ocasio’s unexpected win foretells. “Seems like change is afoot in New York,” the staffer said, with a smirky emoji.
