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The Congresswoman refused to take any contributions from corporations, a practice she continues to this day. Her campaign was driven entirely by grassroots volunteers and donations.

In June 2018, Alexandria’s campaign shocked the political establishment, when she defeated incumbent Joe Crowley.

Ever the activist, her campaign had an informal, flexible structure resembling “leaderless” social movements like the one she saw at Standing Rock.” – Time magazine, March 21,2019 Staffers wrote their job titles on Post-it notes above their desks in their small Queens office. Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, was a prolific fundraiser who had been in Congress since 1999. ‘Everyone said, ‘She’s really cute, but maybe next time,’’ Ocasio-Cortez recalls. “The campaign was a long shot from the start.

A few months later, she launched her first campaign for Congress. She decided to travel across the country to join them, and left the experience resolved to dedicate her life to public service. Shortly thereafter, she was inspired by demonstrations being led by indigenous communities at Standing Rock, South Dakota in opposition to a new pipeline. First Political Campaignĭuring the 2016 presidential election, Alexandria worked as a volunteer organizer for Bernie Sanders in the South Bronx, expanding her skills in electoral organizing and activism. Alexandria pulled extra shifts to work as a waitress and bartender to support her family, deepening her commitment to issues impacting working-class people. The medical bills and other growing expenses placed their home at risk of foreclosure. These experiences led the Congresswoman to organize Latinx youth in The Bronx and across the United States, eventually, she began work as an Educational Director with the National Hispanic Institute, a role in which she helped Americans, DREAMers and undocumented youth in community leadership and college readiness.įollowing the financial crisis of 2008, tragedy struck when her father passed away suddenly from cancer. Her role in Senator Kennedy’s office provided a firsthand view of the heartbreak families endured after being separated by ICE. During this period she also had the opportunity to intern in the office of the late Senator Ted Kennedy.

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From an early age, the stark contrast in educational opportunities available to her and her cousins, based on their respective zip codes, made an impression on her.Īfter high school, Alexandria attended Boston University, and graduated with degrees in Economics and International Relations (and tens of thousands of dollars in student loans). Throughout her childhood, Representative Ocasio-Cortez traveled regularly to The Bronx to spend time with her extended family. Alexandria’s father was a second-generation Bronxite, who ran a small business in The Bronx. Alexandria’s mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and worked throughout her childhood as a domestic worker. Born in the Parkchester neighborhood of The Bronx, Alexandria’s parents moved the family 30 minutes north to Yorktown in search of a stronger public school for her and her brother.