The Ocasio-Cortez Effect

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upset Rep. Joe Crowley in the New York 14th District primary last June, it was a jolt to the Democratic Party. Crowley, who had held office for nearly 20 years, held high rank and was viewed as the likely heir to Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Ocasio-Cortez, 29, is the youngest woman elected to Congress, Latina, working class and far to the left (a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America). In her short time in Washington, Ocasio-Cortez has pushed buttons across the political spectrum.