New York Primary Delivers One of the Biggest Political Upsets in Years
*By Alisha Haridasani*
A 28-year-old progressive newcomer shocked the world of American politics Tuesday night with her upset victory over long-time Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley of New York, leaving the party in disarray.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former organizer for Bernie Sanders, overcame a 10-1 fundraising disadvantage to unseat Crowley in the primary for New York’s 14th District. Crowley hadn't been challenged in a primary since 2004 and represented parts of Queens and the Bronx for the better part of two decades.
He was also seen as a potential challenger to Nancy Pelosi's reclaiming the post of House Speaker if the Democrats manage to regain control in November.
But, Ocasio-Cortez’s victory may not necessarily be an indicator of how her party will do in the midterms, said Politico campaign reporter Zach Montellaro.
“This is one district ー one very, very liberal district in New York ー it’s not the entire map,” he said. “Where the midterms will be fought will not be in districts like this one.”
New York's 14th District covers big parts of the Bronx and Queens and is a majority-minority area with [Hispanics](https://popfactfinder.planning.nyc.gov/#12.25/40.724/-73.9868) making up more than half of its population.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Latina, also ran an extremely progressive campaign that resonated with voters there. Her policy proposals included Medicare for all, justice system reform, and abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Last week, she protested President Trump’s zero tolerance immigration policy at detention centers in Texas.
Shortly after her victory became clear, Ocasio-Cortez said she couldn’t believe the outcome.
"I do know that every single person here has worked their butt off to change the future of the Bronx and Queens," she said in an [interview with NY1](http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2018/06/27/democratic-challenges-primary-voters-in-nyc-head-to-the-polls).
Her victory was more than convincing. Even though fewer than 30,000 people cast ballots, Ocasio-Cortez won more than 57 percent of the votes.
Pelosi, whose own position as House Minority Leader is on precarious ground, also downplayed the broader significance of Ocasio-Cortez’s win for the party as a whole, saying that it shouldn’t be seen as a reason for a wider shift further to the left.
“They made a choice in one district let’s not get yourself carried away,” she said in a [press conference.](https://www.c-span.org/video/?447670-1/minority-leader-pelosi-praises-joe-crowley-primary-loss) “The fact that a very progressive district in New York went more progressive...is about that district. It is not to be viewed as something that stands for everything else.”
Still Crowley was the fourth highest ranking Democrat in the House, and his loss leaves the party’s leadership in flux, said Montellaro.
“Who exactly will take over?” said Montellaro. “The number two and number three in the Democratic party are also in their 70s, there’s no young leadership.”
Cheddar’s J.D. Durkin said the magnitude of the upset "cannot be overstated" and said New York Democrats were convinced that Crowley would cruise to re-election.
Durkin himself had [predicted Crowley’s loss](https://twitter.com/jiveDurkey/status/1008759739239448576) in an episode of “Cheddar Politics” on June 18. He said then that a win by Ocasio-Cortez would be the “biggest primary upset since Dave Brat knocked off Eric Cantor four years ago.”
Last week, Ocasio-Cortez told [Durkin](https://twitter.com/jiveDurkey/status/1012026598990794752) that her campaign, and now her victory, sends a message to the Democratic party that grassroots efforts still do "have the ability to capture the national imagination."
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