Statistics on the 116th United States Congress show that the average member is a white male, approximately 57.6 years old, with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000. They are likely to have worked in public service roles or owned a business prior to their election to the House of Representatives, have spent an average of 9.7 years in office, and until fairly recently, weren’t active on social media. The average, however, is being increasingly disrupted by a group of progressive politicians, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The youngest woman to ever serve in the U.S. Congress, with a twitter following nearly 13 million strong, Ocasio-Cortez - popularly known as ‘AOC’ - is a woman who draws strong feelings from both sides of the aisle. Fiercely advocating for a progressive platform focused on social justice, she is a frequent target of criticism from those on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Her willingness to speak openly and passionately about the issues impacting minorities and working-class people has begun to change the way the Democratic party engages with its constituents and with current issues.
Born on October 13th, 1989, she lived with her family in the Bronx until she was five, moving to a house in the suburbs and attending Yorktown High School, where she graduated in 2007. She enrolled at Boston University, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both economics and international relations. After she graduated, she moved back to the Bronx and worked as a bartender and waitress to help her mother fight the foreclosure of their family home.
Working as an organizer for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, she took a road trip around the U.S. after the election, where she was inspired by people fighting for justice and protection of their communities. In April 2017, she began her campaign for the 2018 New York 14th congressional district election, while continuing to bartend at a local taqueria. With the support of numerous progressive organizations, she defeated the 10-term incumbent with 57.13% of the primary vote, going on to win the general election with 78% of the vote. After a successful first term, she won re-election to the 117th Congress in 2020 with 71.6% of the vote.
Her ability to connect with and relate to a wide variety of young Americans has galvanized a political wave that has swept a number of long-term incumbents from office and grown a new base of support for progressive causes. With the assistance of her allies in Congress, it’s likely that she will be able to shift the priorities of her party to focus on the underrepresented populations in the U.S. While she’s got her work cut out for her, it’s clear that AOC has the passion and the drive to make it happen.