Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
American politician (born 1989) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (/oʊˌkɑːsioʊ kɔːrˈtɛz/ ⓘ oh-KAH-see-oh kor-TEZ, Spanish: [aleɣˈsandɾja oˈkasjo koɾˈtes]; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American left-wing politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 14th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Joe Crowley |
Personal details | |
Born | (1989-10-13) October 13, 1989 (age 34) New York City, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Other political affiliations | Working Families Party[lower-alpha 1] Democratic Socialists of America[lower-alpha 2] |
Education | Boston University (BA) |
Signature | |
Website | House website |
Ocasio-Cortez was born in The Bronx, where she lived for five years before moving to Yorktown Heights. She attended Yorktown High School and later Boston University, where she double-majored in international relations and economics, graduating cum laude. She then moved back to the Bronx, becoming an activist and working as a waitress and bartender.
On June 26, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party's primary election for New York's 14th congressional district. She defeated Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries.[4][5][6] She easily won the November general election, defeating Republican Anthony Pappas. She was reelected in the 2020 and 2022 elections.
Taking office at age 29, Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman[7][8] and the first female member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to be elected to Congress.[lower-alpha 3][10] She advocates a progressive platform that includes support for workplace democracy,[11] Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, a federal jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal, and abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She is a prominent leader of the left-wing faction of the Democratic Party.