Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Brookline Select Board Hopeful

BROOKLINE, MA — Folks from Brookline and beyond came and packed a room in at the First Parish Church on Walnut Street, lining up against the back wall to hear a chat between Raul Fernandez, who is running for Brookline Select Board, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"I brought a friend," said Fernandez to cheers.

Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, talked with Fernandez about what grass roots campaigning takes, how many doors it takes a new candidate to break through, the importance of primary elections and including and engaging with people who don't just vote at every election.

"Changing this country is not just about running for Congress," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It's about running for select board. It's about being on the PTA. It's about running for city council and it's about being civically engaged in ways we haven't as a country in a long time."

Fernandez and the congresswoman go back to her days at Boston University when she was a student and he worked at program at a center there. The two became friends and she said his support during her early days of running helped her win a massive upset in New York's 14th district during the 2018 midterm election.

"I believe in Raul," Ocasio-Cortez said.

The congresswoman also talked about Massachusetts issues, including a lawsuit that Bay State district attorneys filed against the federal government seeking to ban Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents from courthouses.

Ocasio-Cortez called the lawsuit "the right thing."

"What we're seeing right now is a disturbing and consistent expansion of the way the current administration is using ICE to target folks that ideally should not be targeted," she added.

Many in the crowd Saturday said they came because they were impressed with Fernandez and getting a chance to listen to the congresswoman was a bonus.

Saya Ameli Hajebi came to support Fernandez after hearing her neighbors speak so passionately about him and his campaign. But his support of the new buildings at the high school and the ninth school is what solidified it for her.

"We're already feeling cramped in classes at the high school," said the BHS junior. "Also: Alexandira Ocasio-Cortez is here. She's super inspiring to me. She is breaking the system. I think she's going to be the spark that's going to bring real change."

Amely Sok drove 40 minutes from Lynn to see Alexandira Ocasio-Cortez because she thought it would help her with the grass roots campaign she's helping a friend with as her friend runs for election to the city council.

"It was just nice seeing that you could be in the same room as a congresswoman. They don't really come to our homes unless they're being reelected. It was just so easy to come here," she said.

Sok, said she related to what the congresswoman had to say, especially about how scary it can be at first to knock on doors when getting the vote out.

At 22, Sok represents a group of millennials that are just becoming interested in politics. She said she only recently became interested. "Now, seeing people like Aynanna Pressley and AOC. They're just so real. And you can see yourself in their shoes."

This was the first endorsement event Ocasio-Cortez has given since she was elected, she said.

RELATED: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez To Endorse Brookline's Raul Fernandez

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).