During her criss-crossing of the country speaking out in support of 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is becoming a “national voice” for younger Americans who want to see her become president someday.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a leader in the progressive movement,” Sanders campaign adviser Jeff Weaver told POLITICO.
“She is broadly popular, frankly, among Democratic voters. She is particularly strong with young voters, voters of color. She’s an important national voice, and adding her weight to the political revolution is a real coup for us,” he added.
There has been a rising call for Ocasio-Cortez to become Sanders’ Vice President, but at 30 she is not old enough (you must be 35 and a natural born citizen).
However, Sanders has said if he defeats President Trump next year, Ocasio-Cortez would play a “very, very important role” in his White House.
Waleed Shahid, a former aide who has worked with both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, said the New York freshman has an untapped and wide base.
“AOC is popular among many diverse constituencies in the Democratic base, and particularly among unlikely voters,” Shahid said.