Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – an Executive Committee member of Bronx Progressives – made history when she defeated Joe Crowley in the Democratic Primary for New York’s 14th Congressional District, Tuesday June 26th 2018.
Many in the so-called mainstream media and political establishments are now asking, “how did she do it?” The answer is simple. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders visited The Bronx and planted several political seeds in St. Mary’s Park. In just two years, those seeds have blossomed into a collective of grassroots flowers that are coming together to reclaim our communities from the grips of injustice.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will soon become the youngest Congresswoman in the history of our nation because she was able to harness the support of grassroots organizers and activists.
Bronx Progressives is proud to hold the honor of being the first organization in the borough to endorse Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Early in her campaign, Bronx Progressives knew that Ocasio-Cortez would not only be an unapologetic voice for the voiceless, but someone who was going to fight tirelessly to represent the interests and critical needs of Bronx residents.
For this reason, we did not hesitate to stand by her side. We understand the unwavering moral and political courage it takes to be a first-time candidate opposed by the entire Democratic establishments of the Bronx, Queens and the United States, but we had no doubt Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could lead with conviction.
As a local chapter, Bronx Progressives’ grassroots endorsement triggered the endorsement of Our Revolution, one of the handful of national endorsements our future Congresswoman received. But make no mistake, New York’s 14th Congressional District was won because of the contribution of the several progressive groups within our communities. Bronx Progressives worked side-by-side with leaders, activists and everyday community members to make phone calls, knock on doors, connect directly with voters (in English and Spanish) and it worked. Progressive groups helped secure victory for Ocasio-Cortez.
The results of last week’s Primary are a testament to the inspiration Alexandria naturally exudes. Most notably, this victory also speaks to the importance of having these grassroots organizations build coalitions to work on initiatives that will move the democratic ideals we share in common. In which, it fosters an enviromment to create a progressive movement in the Bronx that is capable of advancing the causes and principles we believe in.
We vow to continue our support for Alexandria as she begins a new role to bring change for the people she will represent and for the country. We ask that the progressive groups throughout the Bronx come together so that we can work towards building a local people’s movement.
In solidarity,
On behalf of the Executive Committee,
Samelys Lopez, Female Coordinator
Randy Abreu, Male Coordinator
