On Tuesday night, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a stunning upset victory over 10-term incumbent Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY). Crowley had been considered to be the successor to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and possible the next Speaker should Democrats retake Congress's lower chamber this fall.
As election results for New York's 14th congressional district (Bronx) poured in, Cortez's reaction was captured by Spectrum News NY1. As the video shows, Cortez was stunned.
"This is the start of a movement," she tweeted after the results were confirmed. "Thank you all."
If Cortez is elected in the fall, she would become the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives. Prior to her campaign, Cortez was working as a bartender.
In an early campaign video, Cortez said:
"Women like me aren't supposed to run for office. I wasn't born to a wealthy or powerful family... mother from Puerto Rico, dad from the South Bronx."
Cortez upset victory is a testament to the growing furor on the left over the presidency of Donald Trump, particularly his racist treatment of minorities and his policy of separating migrant families from their children.
Following his defeat, Crowley tweeted a gracious concession to Cortez in which he says looks "forward to supporting her and all Democrats this November."
"I want to congratulate @Ocasio2018. I look forward to supporting her and all Democrats this November. The Trump administration is a threat to everything we stand for here in Queens and the Bronx, and if we don't win back the House this November, we will lose the nation we love."
