Compass Gender: AOC Endorses Seven Women Congressional Candidates

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed a slate of female progressives for upcoming congressional elections. (Ståle Grut / NRKbeta - Flickr)

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced via Twitter on February 21 that Courage to Change, her newly-formed PAC, will support a group of female progressive candidates for Congress.

Her support could bolster the odds for senatorial candidate Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez (Texas) and hopeful representatives Marie Newman (Illinois), Jessica Cisneros (Texas), Teresa Fernandez (New Mexico), Kara Eastman (Nebraska), Georgette Gómez (California), and Samelys López (New York). By endorsing these candidates, AOC has signalled her intent to advance progressive interests in the Democratic Party, using her considerable celebrity status and incredible fundraising ability to do so.

“One of our primary goals is to reward political courage in Congress and also to help elect a progressive majority in the House of Representatives,” Ocasio-Cortez stated in a New York Times interview. “There’s kind of a dual nature to this: One is opening the door to newcomers, and the other is to reward members of Congress that are exhibiting very large amounts of political courage.”

Her actions will pit her against other members of the  Democratic Party. Two of her endorsees are challenging Democratic incumbents in the House: Marie Newman is attempting to dethrone Representative Daniel Lipinski in Illinois, and Jessica Cisneros will try to unseat Representative Henry Cuellar in Texas. 

Their campaigns parallel Ocasio-Cortez’s experience in 2018, where she won against Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley in New York in an unprecedented victory that stunned political experts and attracted national attention. 

Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsements reveal a careful consideration of the political terrain. In both cases where her support would oust a Democratic colleague, the incumbents have deviated from party values: Representative Lipinski supports pro-life policies and Representative Cuellar is highly regarded by the NRA. 

“It’s time to elect a progressive majority in Congress accountable to strong, grassroots movements that push support for issues like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, racial justice, & more,” she tweeted.