AOC endorses progressive primary challenger to House Democratic lwmaker

CNN. com | 9/18/2019, 12:30 p.m.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Tuesday threw her support behind a progressive primary challenger to Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, a lawmaker who is considered to be one of the most conservative House Democrats.

Ocasio-Cortez called Marie Newman, who is challenging the congressman in 2020 after unsuccessfully challenging him in the 2018 midterm primary, "a grassroots fighter for working families" in a statement on Twitter.

"It's going to take a bigger, stronger Democratic Party - one that's returned to our FDR roots & fights for working people - to change our future in 2020," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, adding, "We can't afford deep blue seats fighting against healthcare & equal rights. We need @Marie4Congress."

An endorsement from Ocasio-Cortez, who has quickly established herself as a progressive icon currently in her first term in Congress and has a massive following on social media, could give a boost to any candidate.

The New York Democrat also recently endorsed Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts in his 2020 re-election bid.

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