The national election left many Democrats reeling from the depth of support for President Donald Trump. Joe Biden may still eke out an Electoral College victory, while winning the popular vote by more than 3.5 million. With intense focus on key remaining swing states, and an overall loss of Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives — seven at the latest count — a significant expansion of the Democrats’ progressive wing in Congress is being missed for the milestone it is.
The Progressive Caucus, the largest Congressional caucus, got a jolt in 2018 when four progressive women of color won their races, becoming known as The Squad. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortéz was working as a bartender in New York City during her insurgent primary campaign against 20-year incumbent Congressmember Joe Crowley, one of the most powerful Democrats on Capitol Hill. Ayanna Pressley was raised by a single mother, and later dropped out of college so she could work to support her mother. She defeated incumbent Democrat Michael Capuano in the Boston-area district once held by Tip O’Neill, to become the first African American woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress.
Rashida Tlaib won the Detroit House seat previously held by John Conyers. Tlaib, the oldest of 14 children, is the daughter of working class...Read More →
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