Two members of the coalition of congressional representatives who call themselves “The Squad” have handily won reelection to their House seats.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) defeated Republican challenger John Cummings, a 60-year-old Catholic high school teacher and a former police officer in the New York Police Department.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:09 p.m. Eastern Time, at which point Ocasio-Cortez was ahead by 37 points.
“Serving NY-14 and fighting for working-class families in Congress has been the greatest honor, privilege, & responsibility of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet to her supporters. “Thank you to the Bronx & Queens for re-electing me to the House despite the millions spent against us, & trusting me to represent you once more.”
The congresswoman has hinted that she may someday run for higher office, possibly in the Senate or elsewhere.
“I don’t know if I’m really going to be staying in the House forever, or if I do stay in the House, what that would look like,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
Another member of The Squad, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), also won a definitive victory against her opponent, Republican candidate Lacy Johnson. Johnson was not seen as likely to defeat Omar, although he had raised a large sum of campaign cash.
Omar tweeted appreciation to her supporters, emphasizing the larger political battles ahead.
“We are building a movement that sees my struggle as inherently tied to your struggle, and sees a world where all workers can be uplifted. Together,” Omar wrote. “Today’s vote — the results of this election — are not the end. This is just the beginning.”
The four members of The Squad (which also include Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan) have pressed Democratic Party leaders to support more progressive proposals, including Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and a rethinking of U.S. foreign policy stances.
Democrats are expected to win control of the House of Representatives for a second term in a row, after doing so in 2018, according to projections from at least three television networks. It also appears that the party will be expanding its majority in that legislative chamber, winning more seats in suburban areas across the country.
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