NYC Primary Election 2020: Ocasio-Cortez Defends Seat In Congress

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Democrats in Queens will get to cast a ballot this month in a collection of local, state and federal primary races — including the 14th Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will have to defend her seat against challengers Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Badrun Khan and Sam Sloan.

Ocasio-Cortez, a resident of Parkchester in The Bronx, was first elected to Congress in 2018. She is a member of the House's financial services committee and oversight and reform committee. She previously worked in the office of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and volunteered as an organizer for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. She also worked as an educational director for the National Hispanic Institute. She received a bachelor's degree in international relations and economics from Boston University.

The 14th Congressional District includes parts of The Bronx and Queens. The Queens portion of the district includes the neighborhoods of Astoria, College Point, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside. The Bronx portion includes City Island, Country Club, Van Nest, Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Schuylerville, and Throggs Neck.

READ MORE:

• Michelle Caruso-Cabrera Takes On AOC
• Badrun Khan Takes On Ocasio-Cortez

The primary election, slated for June 23, is open to registered Democratic voters. All New York voters may request a mail-in ballot due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots must be postmarked by the date of the election for the vote to get counted.

For those who want to head to the polls, click here to find your poll site. Early voting is available from June 13 to June 21.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the primary election to create these profiles. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

31

NYC neighborhood of residence

Parkchester

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democratic Party

Family

no children or husband

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA from Boston University in International Relations and Economics

Occupation

Organizer and Educator (< 10 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Current US House of Representative for New York's 14th Congressional District (18 months)

Campaign website

ocasiocortez.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

My work starts with my community, and the inequities I see for working class families

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

"injustice and inequities between citizens of the United States"

What I am doing about it is building a movement both locally and nationally to alter the way we address and fight for equality and justice. I have introduced a suite of bills that work in concert to address the intersectional problems of climate change and inequities in health, housing, education, our economy, immigration, and legal systems. I use my influence to promote these policies and values locally and nationally, and I lead with moral courage to stand up against policies backed by corporate money that cut against the interest of working class Americans.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have always and will always fight for working class families, advocating for policies to consider the humanity in every person. My actions and policies consider the basic needs of humans and use our abundant national resources to support and uplift every person.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Although not mentioned earlier, I spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about how we care for seniors. I have co-sponsored several pieces of legislation that will allow all of us to age with dignity.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

During my first term as a member of Congress, I introduced 25 bills and co-sponsored 436 bills in the House of Representatives; 11 pieces of legislation that I co-sponsored are laws today.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Speak truth to power and never underestimate the power of individuals acting collectively.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I only work as a representative in service to my community, and I will not stop working until I have brought systemic change to improve the lives of my fellow New Yorkers.