Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist who has served since 2019 as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Born in the Bronx and raised in Yorktown Heights, New York, Ocasio-Cortez graduated with honors from Boston University, where she double-majored in international relations and economics. After moving back to the Bronx, she became an activist and worked as a waitress and bartender. On June 26, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she defeated Democratic Caucus chair and 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic Party's primary election for New York's 14th congressional district, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She easily won the November general election and was reelected in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Taking office at age 29, Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She was also, alongside Rashida Tlaib, one of the first two female members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) elected to Congress. She advocates a progressive platform that includes support for worker cooperatives, Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges, a jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal, and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She is a leader of the left-wing faction of the Democratic Party and a member of the "Squad", an informal progressive congressional bloc.