Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the US Representative for New York's fourteenth district, faced a well-funded "centrist" challenger in this year's Democratic primary. Though Michelle Caruso-Cabrera couldn't match Ocasio-Cortez's fundraising, she was backed by Wall Street players and some of New York's richest, who thought she had a genuine chance of overcoming the left-leaning congresswoman. On the day, though, AOC trounced Caruso-Cabrera at the polls, leading 73%-19% with all precincts reporting in. It was called within minutes.
Wall Street CEOs, from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone, poured in millions to defeat our grassroots campaign tonight.
But their money couldn’t buy a movement.
Thank you #NY14, and every person who pitched in for tonight’s victory.
Here’s to speaking truth to power. pic.twitter.com/g9aRV3Cu1B
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2020
Elsewhere, establishment Democrats are struggling to fend off challenges from the left: Rep. Elliot Engel has likely lost to Jamaal Bowman, with the count close enough to come down to mail-in ballots yet to be tallied.
So New York didn’t only choose Jamaal Bowman over Eliot Engel tonight.
It also elected Ritchie Torres, who will go on to be the first openly gay Afro-Latinx man in Congress.
AND Mondaire Jones, the first openly gay Black man in Congress.
History is being made.
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) June 24, 2020
But Amy McGrath has likely fended off Charles Booker's insurgent run in Kentucky's race to challenge Mitch McConnell in November. A clear result will be days in coming.
Republican voters are bucking the party line, too, with two Trump-hated candidates prevailing in the GOP primaries in Kentucky and North Carolina.
