Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wins stuns Democrats, puts new attention on Pelosi

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former campaign organizer for Bernie Sanders, caused a surprise defeat in New York on Tuesday by defeating US representative Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., Who was considered a kingmaker and a shoo-in.

Crowley, 56, a Queens native and member of Trump-basher, was a regular fundraiser for Democrats and some thought that he was a future Speaker of the House.

His defeat left no clear potential choice to the House to succeed US Representative Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., As party leader.

There were times when Crowley's campaign in the 14th congressional district of New York showed signs of fragility. The New York Times editorial page, after his loss, reported that he led a dull campaign that bordered on complacency. The paper pointed out that he debated his opponent only once.

Ocasio-Cortez, 28, from the Bronx, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and led a low-budget campaign where she was outpaced by an 18-1 margin.

"We had our country autopilot and we accepted what was happening," she told Refinery29 earlier this month. "What is happening in this country indicates that we need new leadership, we need new leadership within the Democratic Party and we need new leadership in the country." . "

Among its issues is the expansion of the Medicare program to people of all ages and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She recently traveled to Tornillo, Texas, to protest the policies that separated parents from their children on the border between the United States and Mexico.

"We're beating a machine with a move, and that's what we've done today," said Ocasio-Cortez. "Working class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018."

The online Slate website compared his victory to that of former House leader Eric Cantor, a Republican, who lost to the unknown Dave Brat in 2014. The publication pointed out that he There was no clear successor to Pelosi in case the House.

"In the short term, Pelosi may have dismissed another potential challenger from his list, but the overall situation may not be good for the existing democratic leadership structure," wrote Newell in Slate. "Crowley, for all his accumulated power, has just stepped out on the generational change mantra, which presents an argument, for Pelosi's critics at the conference, that the rest of the leadership should follow suit."

Politico wrote that even if a Pelosi rival was defeated, Ocasio-Cortez represents a "reminder of the generational demands for change at the top of the party hierarchy," and his victory will likely thrill the moderate wing of the party. . "

It was feared that Pelosi's ties would hurt the Democrats' attempt to hold their seat in the fall. In Pennsylvania, Democrat Conor Lamb vowed not to support Pelosi as a speaker – and won a special election in a dark red district that President Trump won in 2016 of 20 percentage points.

The National Committee of the Republican Campaign celebrated the defeat of "poor Joe Crowley".

"Democrats in the House, hoping for a post-Pelsoi era, are now left without a leader," NRCC spokesman Matt Gorman said. "The only person happier tonight than Nancy Pelosi is NRCC."

Pelosi, on the other hand, describes Crowley as "an unwavering champion for American working families for almost two decades" who "has brought principled, unifying and forward-looking leadership to the historic challenges of the administration. Trump "as chairman of the Democratic caucus.

"I salute President Crowley for his tremendous legacy of accomplishment for the people of New York," concluded Pelosi. "I congratulate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her victory."

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and the Associated Press contributed to this report.