Bronxites are really feeling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After defeating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley and securing the Democratic Congressional nomination in New York’s 14th District – which covers areas in the Bronx and Queens – she has also won the primary in the 15th District, despite not tossing her hat in the ring. Alexandria – who ran on a platform of providing Medicare for all, tuition-free public colleges, and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – impressed people from the neighboring district so much that many people jotted her name down as a write-in candidate. She beat incumbent Rep. Jose Serrano.
On Tuesday, Alexandria took to Twitter to share the news. “Shocking – and I’m told this is not a joke – we have ALSO won a primary in the neighboring 15th Congressional District via write-in campaign on the Reform line!” she wrote. “While I am so honored that so many Bronxites are excited about our campaign, I will remain the Dem nominee for NY-14.”
Since New York state law prohibits candidates from running for two difference offices, according to ABC News. But her victory in this district is another sign of constituents yearning for something new. The Reform Party, which didn’t have a candidate, encouraged independent voters to submit the names of the candidates they backed as a way to protest the state’s broken election laws. “Part of my hope, quite frankly, is that people will see what a needless expense this is and we will call upon their state legislators to fix this right away,” Reform Party spokesman Frank Morano told City & State.