Left-Wing Challenger Takes Out Top Democrat in New York Primary
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A top member of the House Democratic leadership was blindsided by a New York City primary loss at the hands of a fresh-faced candidate who raised one-tenth as much money and now becomes a standard-bearer in the ongoing struggle over the party’s identity.
The stunning victory by 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Tuesday over longtime Representative Joe Crowley, 56, once seen as a potential House speaker, resulted from a rift between the party’s old guard and a new, more liberal generation. It came in a district covering Queens and part of the Bronx that exemplifies the country’s changing demographics.