The Ocasio-Cortez Party Turns Amazon’s NYC Plans Into HQ0

Andrew Cuomo crushed his liberal primary opponent in his reelection race for New York governor in November. Three months later, he suffered one of the biggest defeats of his career. Amazon’s decision to pull out of a planned mega-campus in Long Island City, Queens, is more than a loss for Cuomo. It’s a big victory for a new generation of left-wing, constantly tweeting Democrats, embodied by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the Bronx.

It was a huge twist, even if there were warning signs. Just a few months ago, the deal seemed like an unalloyed coup for the world’s richest man and New York’s top political power players. Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio—two Democrats who rarely agree on anything—brokered a truce to put together a $3 billion tax break for Amazon.com Inc. that helped secure one half of a second headquarters.