¡Victoria! para Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
What her victory signifies for the Democratic Party
By Sophia Qureshi
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
IN AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS, 28-year-old community organizer and part-time bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Representative Joseph Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional district. A moderate Democrat who has not faced a primary challenge in fourteen years, Crowley was considered a top pick for potential Speaker of the House if Democrats were to retake the lower chamber this fall. At half Crowley’s age, Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Highlights from her platform include universal Medicare, tuition-free public universities, and the abolition of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency. The battle between a young progressive like Ocasio-Cortez and a stalwart like Crowley is emblematic of the ideological rift emerging between the increasingly polarized factions of the Democratic Party.
Especially for Democrats in Congress, this rift is becoming increasingly unwieldy. In the 2016 Presidential Election, the divide became more and more evident in the primary between self-identified democratic socialist Bernie Sanders and establishment-oriented moderate Hillary Clinton. The rift was also prominent in government shutdown that occurred earlier this year, where progressive Democrats like California’s Kamala Harris and the aforementioned Bernie Sanders chastised centrist Democrats for putting the fate of Dreamers at risk in exchange for legislation to end the shutdown. With the 2018 midterm elections five months away, the rift is once again proving to be a complicating factor. In order to gain the majority in Congress back from the GOP, Democrats must succeed nationwide in these elections. However, the struggle lies in the most effective policy platform with which to galvanize the vote.
Moderates claim that “riding the blue wave,” or embracing the increased support for Democrats in the face of anti-Trump sentiment, with a traditional platform will be enough for Democrats to triumph. In the immediate future, this strategy may suffice. The current electorate is approximately 73% Baby Boomers and Generation Xers, with an approximate age range of 36 to 70 years old. For both Democrats and Republicans, this demographic is ideologically moderate. In 2012, the most recent year for which data is available, 7% of voters identified as conservative Democrats. This figure signifies that the Democratic Party is not solely the party of the progressives. The importance of the moderate voice in the party came into play in Conor Lamb’s race in Pennsylvania. In this highly contentious special election, Lamb’s polite, centrist demeanor appealed to moderates dissatisfied with Trump, resulting in Lamb’s victory.
However, the percentage of conservative Democrats has been steadily declining from 27% in 1976. This trend, in conjunction with the ideological leanings of the emerging Millennial voting block, portends a necessity for an increasingly leftist platform for the party. As of 2016, an estimated 62 million Millennials joined the ranks of voters, outnumbering the amount of Generation X voters. Unlike their predecessors, this group, aged 20 to 35, is decidedly more liberal. Whereas a Democratic Socialist candidate like Ocasio-Cortez would have been poorly received by the older generations, Millennials embrace such politicians. Disillusioned by the global economic crisis, they believe the system needs reform. 62% put their faith in a strong, involved federal government to spearhead these changes, provide a safety net, and foster economic vitality. If Democrats want to be victorious in coming elections, they need to cater to these needs. Furthermore, the emerging electorate is searching for a candidate that resembles it. This facet served as an area of strength for Ocasio-Cortez. Still paying of her student loans and working multiple jobs, this young woman of color is seen as a welcome advocate because of her intimate experience with quintessential millennial struggles. Thus, she provides her potential voters with the potential solutions that they yearn for because she is well-acquainted with their perspective.
Additionally, as the factions of the Democratic Party continue to drift, grassroots activism keeps the leftist group energized. Ocasio-Cortez’s sustained involvement in the political sphere stems from grassroots activism, as does the connection of many millennials to the political sphere. For those who feel the establishment is distant and cold, the vibrancy of the grassroots network provides them with tangible mechanisms with which to get involved and make an impact. Leftist candidates like Ocasio-Cortez embrace this network, thereby embracing the power of the average person as opposed to what millennials find to be the corrupt, undue influence of corporations and the establishment. The rejection of this status quo invigorates jaded voters and will likely attract them to the party in the future.
For the Democratic Party, the success of an outright leftist candidate signifies the manifestation of a new generation of voters. The ability of a virtual unknown to defeat a stalwart reveals that the centrist voice in regions where Democrats reign supreme is diminishing. While centrist candidates still undoubtedly have value, especially in swing districts, the party as a whole may need to cross over to the more liberal front in order to retain young voters. As the numbers illustrate, the composition of the electorate is changing drastically. The values and needs of these voters are dramatically different as well.
Come this November, a moderate Democratic Party may successfully be able to harness anti-Trump sentiment to generate a blue wave. However, if the party wants to transform this wave into a sustained tsunami, it must embrace its deep blue waters.
