Ocasio-Cortez Endorses 'Strong Progressives' Allam and Lee for Congress

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday added her name to a growing list of progressive politicians and groups endorsing Summer Lee and Nida Allam in their respective May 17 Democratic primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives.

"It matters a great deal what kind of Democrats fill these seats."

In a fundraising email, the New York Democrat's team said it was "proud to be supporting two strong progressives who are running for Congress."

"It matters a great deal what kind of Democrats fill these seats," the email asserted. "Nida and Summer will fight for their communities and that's why we're proud to be mobilizing Team AOC volunteers to lead phone banks and recruit more volunteers for their campaigns."

Allam is running for North Carolina's 4th Congressional District seat, which opened up after Democratic incumbent Rep. David Price—who has represented the district since 1997—announced his retirement last October.

If elected, Allam, who is 28 years old, will be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress—Ocasio-Cortez currently holds that distinction—and the first Pakistani-American lawmaker. She is currently a Durham County, North Carolina commissioner and the first Muslim woman elected to public office in state history.

Allam tweeted that she is "honored" to be endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez, "an outspoken champion for working families" who "shows the power progressive women of color have when we step up and lead!"

Lee, who is running in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District, is currently the first Black woman to represent Southwestern Pennsylvania in the state Legislature. Backed by groups including the youth-led climate campaign Sunrise Movement (which has also endorsed Allam) and the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, Lee is a graduate of the Howard University School of Law and was a community organizer before she entered office.

Tweeting that she is "so proud" to be endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez, Lee called the "Squad" member "a tireless defender of working families, standing up to corporations and demanding our party delivers on its promises to Democratic voters."

Ocasio-Cortez joins prominent progressives including U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) in endorsing Lee.

Allam's backers include Sanders, Warren, Jayapal, Omar, Tlaib, and others, such as U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.