It was quite an upset: The leftist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat a more moderate Democrat, Joe Crowley, in the New York primary for the House of Representatives in June. Given New York’s preference for Democrats, this result all but assures her of a seat in the House come midterm elections.
What prompted the 16,000 primary voters (out of 292,000 eligible in the Queens/Bronx 14th district) to vote for Ocasio-Cortez over her competitor, who only got 11,800 votes? Free stuff and anti-Trump rhetoric—free education, free medical care, and a federal jobs guarantee (free stuff), as well as the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE (anti-Trump).
