After seeing off a primary challenge in her New York district, Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a pointed message to the Wall Street backers of her main opponent.
“Wall Street CEOs, from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone, poured in millions to defeat our grassroots campaign tonight,” she tweeted. “But their money couldn't buy a movement.”
Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s principal rival was journalist Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, formerly an international correspondent for CNBC, who received donations from several high powered Wall Street CEOs.
Thanking her supporters, Representative Ocasio-COrtez, known as AOC, said: “Here’s to speaking truth to power.”
Despite money being poured into Ms Caruso-Cabrera’s campaign by the likes of David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, and Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone, and a number of billionaire investors, she only raised 20 per cent of the money that Ms Ocasio-Cortez did.
Federal Election Commission data shows AOC securing $10.5m in donations to Ms Caruso-Cabrera’s $2m up until the first week of June.
In a video statement to her supporters, AOC said: “There is no price tag for having people who are animated by the courage of their convictions and by a desire for a better world.”
AOC won a shock primary victory of her own in 2018, swiftly rising to political stardom in Washington, DC as part of the so-called “Squad” of young, leftward leaning, female representatives.
In New York, her progressive stance saw challenges arise from several centrist Democrats. However, her constituency, which spans the Bronx and Queens, has now comfortably returned her to the House of Representatives.
AOC took home 72.6 per cent of the ballots counted on Tuesday night. Absentee ballots will be processed by 30 June.
