Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., easily won her fourth term representing New York's 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Tina Forte in the heavily Democrat area encompassing parts of Queens and the Bronx.
As a founding member of "the Squad," Ocasio-Cortez has been a powerful progressive voice on Capitol Hill since taking office in 2019. She's been a staunch advocate for liberal policies on issues such as immigration and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, even if it meant clashing with Democrat leadership.
In this election cycle, Ocasio-Cortez spent the campaign season stumping for Vice President Kamala Harris in battleground states, in contrast with fellow Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who refused to endorse Harris due to disagreements on Israel.
Forte's campaign focused on criticizing the AOC's platform as socialist, but the message gained little traction in deep-blue New York City. AOC out-raised Forte significantly, amassing more than $13 million in campaign funds, compared to Forte's $1.7 million, according to Open Secrets.
The Squad has expanded since its founding, with new members like Reps. Greg Casar, D-Texas, Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and also securing seats in Congress.
However, recent primary defeats of progressive allies reflect some changes within the faction as moderate Democrat challengers defeated Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., as the party split over the Israel-Hamas war.