Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cruises to victory in re-election campaign against far-right challenger
New York congresswoman handily defeats Tina Forte to represent The Bronx and Queens in Congress
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Voters in New York have re-elected US Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who easily defeated her Republican challenger to represent a newly redrawn New York City district spanning the Bronx and Queens.
The progressive congresswoman was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2018, becoming the youngest person elected to Congress at the time. She cruised to victory in biennial House elections in 2020 and again in 2022, according to projections from the Associated Press.
This year, she faced GOP challenger Tina Forte, a prominent right-wing influencer who promoted QAnon slogans, shared bogus conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and livestreamed herself among the crowds outside the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.
Since entering office, the 33-year-old congresswoman popularly known as AOC has endured a wave of attacks from Republican officials and right-wing media as her international profile as a skillful communicator and fundraiser has surged alongside her popularity on social media and with her constituents.
Her small-dollar campaign fundraising haul topped more than $11m this cycle.
Due to recent redistricting in the state, after a combative reshaping of the state’s political boundaries, more than a half million New Yorkers lost and gained the congresswoman as a representative this year. Changes to the state’s congressional map this year have impacted roughly 3 million New Yorkers.
Redistricting in Queens and the Bronx has cut roughly 300,000 people from out of the district, though the district gained roughly 330,000 others within the new boundaries.
New York’s 14 Congresional District represents nearly 700,000 people.
As a member of the so-called progressive “squad” in Congress, the congresswoman has advocated for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, housing justice, criminal justice and immigration reform, student loan debt cancellation and abortion rights, among other issues on her progressive platform. She also sits on the House financial services and oversight committees, as well as a select committee on economic disparity and fairness in growth.
On her popular Instagram, she often highlights district issues, local businesses and organisers, hosts question-and-answer sessions, and offers a behind-the-scenes view of electoral politics, from explaining how Congress works to cooking dinner while arguing for cannabis legalisation.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments