Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, the Congresswoman from New York, easily fought off a primary challenge in her district this week. This means that she will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the seat in the American general election in November.
Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the leading figures of the left-wing of the Democratic Party since she was elected to Congress in 2018. She herself won a primary challenge in that year against Joe Crowley, who was the incumbent.
She is something of a divisive figure in the polarized world of American politics, with some viewing her as the Great Hope for American progressivism, while to others she is a symptom of the decline of the US.
Ocasio-Cortez, commonly known by her initials, AOC, won over 70% of the vote in this week’s primary election. Her closest challenger was Michelle Caruso-Cabrera who won just under 20% of the vote. Caruso-Cabrera received the backing of a number of businessmen and business bodies but failed to challenge Ocasio-Cortez in any significant way.
Elections for the American House of Representatives, a third of the country’s Senate seats, as well as the President are all due in November. Incumbent president, Donald Trump, faces an uphill battle to retain his position. His challenger, Joe Biden, is significantly ahead in polls and seems likely to win.