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New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday shared support for progressives in the Democratic Party, backing their ability to answer to “no master.”
“I think when I see so many of these incredible insurgent candidates that are running today –– that’s part of what makes me so proud of them –– is that they do not answer to any master; they are not beholden to any corporate interest or any party boss, and they are completely independent, which allows them to be responsive to their communities and the people that elected them,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
“And I think that in many ways that makes our movement stronger when you have to rely on your own organizing skills, and I think that it has proven to be quite successful,” she continued.
The New York representative recently backed several successful democratic socialist lawmakers in primaries across the Big Apple and saw Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed snag a narrow victory in Michigan earlier this week after endorsing him in July.
As a collective, the candidates have supported policies like “Medicare for All” and opposing PAC funding for campaigns while issuing strong rebukes for the Iran war and military financing for Israel.
She says the rise in progressive politics is due in part to the increase in young voters finding space for themselves within the Democratic party.
“Democrats have responsibility to build a winning coalition, and young people are engaging in mediums and conversations that we have responsibility to attend to and be responsive to,” Ocasio-Cortez told host Jonathan Karl. “Oftentimes when people are doing that Monday morning quarterbacking and what demographics voted where, the big one that’s being ignored is the generational tidal wave.”
“You see it in the home communities. Millennials are not, you know, pump kids anymore. Yeah, we’re grown adults with mortgages and kids, and we that generation is starting to be decisive at the polls, and there is anger at being ignored, sidelined, having our economic futures mortgaged by the generations that came before us on everything from the economy to climate, and we’re taking the reins,” she added.
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Administration Live updates: El-Sayed, Ocasio-Cortez set for Sunday show appearances by The Hill Staff 3 hours ago Administration / 3 hours ago 
