All four members of the “squad” of Democratic progressive Congresswomen — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib from Michigan — have overwhelmingly been reelected to the US House of Representatives.
After taking office in January 2019, the four lawmakers, all women of color, have propelled the left progressive ideology — including stringent action against climate change and healthcare for all — in spite of constant criticism from President Donald Trump.
Celebrating their thumping victory, Ilhan Omar tweeted: “Our sisterhood is resilient.”
Ocasio-Cortez, 31-year-old, defeated the first-time Republican challenger John Cummings, to win New York’s 14th Congressional district.
Cummings, a 60-year-old Catholic high school teacher and former New York Police Department officer, raised over $10 million, making the race the second most expensive House contest, The Times reported.
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He trailed the 31-year-old by nearly 37 percentage points with all districts reporting.
Thanking people for re-electing her, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “Thank you to the Bronx & Queens for re-electing me to the House despite the millions spent against us, & trusting me to represent you once more.”
“Serving NY-14 and fighting for working class families in Congress has been the greatest honor, privilege, & responsibility of my life.”
Meanwhile, Ayanna Pressley, in a message to supporters, said, “Together, we have fought for our shared humanity. We have organised. We have mobilized. We have legislated our values. I am so proud to be your Congresswoman & your partner in the work. I believe in the power of us.”
Pressing that this was just the beginning, she said, “and we’re just getting started.”
Ilhan Omar, who with Rashida Tlaib, was one of the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress two years ago, tweeted, “We are building a movement that sees my struggle as inherently tied to your struggle, and sees a world where all workers can be uplifted. Together. Today’s vote – the results of this election – are not the end. This is just the beginning.”
Donald Trump has frequently targeted these four women with xenophobic comments.
Earlier in September, targeting Omar, the President had said, “She’s telling us how to run our country. How did you do where you came from? How was your country doing?”
Born in Somalia, Omar gained asylum in the US before becoming a naturalised US citizen in 2000.
She was quick to respond to the remarks.
“Firstly, this is my country & I am a member of the House that impeached you,” Omar shot back. “Secondly, I fled civil war when I was 8. An 8-year-old doesn’t run a country even though you run our country like one,” the Senator wrote on Twitter.
In 2019, the 74-year-old had asked the four progressive Congresswomen in unison to “return” to the “crime-infested places” they came from.