
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks with a voter near a polling station during the New York primaries on June 23, 2020 in New York City. (Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)
'Money Couldn't Buy a Movement': AOC Trounces Wall Street-Backed Democratic Primary Opponent
"Tonight we are proving that the people's movement in New York isn't an accident. It's a mandate."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily defeated CNBC contributor and Wall Street-backed challenger Michelle Caruso-Cabrera in the Democratic primary for New York's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, a victory that the progressive congresswoman celebrated as evidence that "money couldn't buy a movement."
" Wall Street CEOs, from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone, poured in millions to defeat our grassroots campaign tonight," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after the Associated Press declared her the winner Tuesday night.
"Thank you NY-14, and every person who pitched in for tonight's victory," the congresswoman said. "Here's to speaking truth to power."
The race was not close, despite Caruso-Cabrera's aggressive corporate fundraising efforts and backing from finance industry titans like Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman--a donor to President Donald Trump--and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.
With a 100% of precincts reporting, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Caruso-Cabrera 72.6% to 19.4%. Absentee ballots in New York have yet to be counted.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose landslide defeat of former Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 stunned the Democratic establishment, stressed that she took the 2020 primary race seriously from the beginning in order to prove that her upset victory was no "fluke."
"Our win was treated as an aberration, or because my opponent 'didn't try,'" the New York congresswoman tweeted. "So from the start, tonight's race was important to me. Tonight we are proving that the people's movement in New York isn't an accident. It's a mandate."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily defeated CNBC contributor and Wall Street-backed challenger Michelle Caruso-Cabrera in the Democratic primary for New York's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, a victory that the progressive congresswoman celebrated as evidence that "money couldn't buy a movement."
" Wall Street CEOs, from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone, poured in millions to defeat our grassroots campaign tonight," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after the Associated Press declared her the winner Tuesday night.
"Thank you NY-14, and every person who pitched in for tonight's victory," the congresswoman said. "Here's to speaking truth to power."
The race was not close, despite Caruso-Cabrera's aggressive corporate fundraising efforts and backing from finance industry titans like Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman--a donor to President Donald Trump--and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.
With a 100% of precincts reporting, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Caruso-Cabrera 72.6% to 19.4%. Absentee ballots in New York have yet to be counted.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose landslide defeat of former Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 stunned the Democratic establishment, stressed that she took the 2020 primary race seriously from the beginning in order to prove that her upset victory was no "fluke."
"Our win was treated as an aberration, or because my opponent 'didn't try,'" the New York congresswoman tweeted. "So from the start, tonight's race was important to me. Tonight we are proving that the people's movement in New York isn't an accident. It's a mandate."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez handily defeated CNBC contributor and Wall Street-backed challenger Michelle Caruso-Cabrera in the Democratic primary for New York's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, a victory that the progressive congresswoman celebrated as evidence that "money couldn't buy a movement."
" Wall Street CEOs, from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone, poured in millions to defeat our grassroots campaign tonight," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after the Associated Press declared her the winner Tuesday night.
"Thank you NY-14, and every person who pitched in for tonight's victory," the congresswoman said. "Here's to speaking truth to power."
The race was not close, despite Caruso-Cabrera's aggressive corporate fundraising efforts and backing from finance industry titans like Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman--a donor to President Donald Trump--and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.
With a 100% of precincts reporting, Ocasio-Cortez defeated Caruso-Cabrera 72.6% to 19.4%. Absentee ballots in New York have yet to be counted.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose landslide defeat of former Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 stunned the Democratic establishment, stressed that she took the 2020 primary race seriously from the beginning in order to prove that her upset victory was no "fluke."
"Our win was treated as an aberration, or because my opponent 'didn't try,'" the New York congresswoman tweeted. "So from the start, tonight's race was important to me. Tonight we are proving that the people's movement in New York isn't an accident. It's a mandate."

