NPR

Life As A Young Woman Candidate: Fending Off 'Older Men' And Being An Outsider

This year's wave of women candidates could reshape a Congress that is overwhelmingly old and male. But those women face multiple hurdles, from doubts to being hit on by voters
Progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrartes at a victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph Crowly on June 26, 2018 in New York City. Ocasio-Cortez upset Rep. Joseph Crowley in New York's 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's has electrified Democratic party activists not only by pulling off a major political upset in New York's 14th District primary this week, but with her progressive politics, working class roots, and status as a Latina.

And in the flood of media attention following her win, another fact about Ocasio Cortes tends to get mentioned early and often: her age.

There's good reason for that: Ocasio Cortez is 28. If she's elected in November — and in her reliably Democratic district, there's a good chance in 2014.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readCrime & Violence
Heated Arguments At The Supreme Court In Newest Abortion Case
At issue is a clash between federal and state law about how pregnant women must be treated in the emergency room.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
First Day Of Trump's Hush Money Trial Kicks Off With Opening Statements And A Witness
The prosecution is arguing that Donald Trump wanted to keep information out of the public fearing that it would turn off voters in 2016. The defense argues Trump did nothing illegal.
NPR5 min read
A Woman With Failing Kidneys Receives Genetically Modified Pig Organs
Surgeons transplanted a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig into a 54-year-old woman in an attempt to extend her life. It's the latest experimental use of animal organs in humans.

Related Books & Audiobooks