New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — a rising liberal star who is challenging the Democratic Party establishment — was scheduled to appear Thursday in Los Angeles as part of West Coast fundraising swing.
The 28-year-old startled the party when she defeated 10-term U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in a New York City Democratic primary.
The surprise victory by the political novice and community organizer in a district that includes parts of the Bronx and Queens came after a low-budget campaign that she built around liberal and social causes, not the traditional Democratic Party machine. Crowley had been expected to win easily.
Her trip to California comes at a time when the state's Democratic Party has been contending with friction between its establishment and liberal wings.
Crowley represents New York's 14th Congressional District.
Ocasio-Cortez was outspent by an 18-1 margin during her race. But won the endorsement of influential groups on the party's left wing, including MoveOn, as well as the actress Cynthia Nixon, who is running for governor. She defeated Crowley by 15 percentage points.
Her platform includes expanding the Medicare program to people of all ages and abolishing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Tickets for the Los Angeles event at a downtown theater are $27, with $10 entry for students, according to an invitation posted on Facebook.
