Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history when she defeated representative Joe Crowley in a primary election that shocked the entire nation.
After initially showing his support for Ocasio-Cortez, the long time New York representative has decided to run as a third party in November’s election as a candidate of the Working Families Party.
During an interview with Ebro in the Morning she addressed his decision only minutes after learning the news.
“They asked him to drop the line, and he said no, she said. “He conceded the domocratic primary. He said on live tv that he would absoloutely 100{347b3eab01faeb3048b2b7ab2b58c469963f1a36dd9436ceff3f6050f82e3ac3} endorse me. But he doesn’t seem to be dropping his third party challenge. We’ll see if he does, but it’s kind of…pretty nuts.”
Following her visit she engaged in a Twitter back and forth with Crowley.
.@repjoecrowley stated on live TV that he would absolutely support my candidacy.
Instead, he’s stood me up for all 3 scheduled concession calls.
Now, he’s mounting a 3rd party challenge against me and the Democratic Party- and against the will of @NYWFP.https://t.co/Xvb6Jk8N8q
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 12, 2018
Alexandria, the race is over and Democrats need to come together. I’ve made my support for you clear and the fact that I’m not running. We’ve scheduled phone calls and your team has not followed through. I’d like to connect but I’m not willing to air grievances on Twitter. https://t.co/hxEeWEpI2O
— Joe Crowley (@JoeCrowleyforNY) July 12, 2018
Lots questions about WFP line. Was honored to have their support. I’m not running. For record you can only be removed from the ballot if 1) you move out of NY; 2) die; 3) be convicted of a crime; 4) accept a nomination for another office (in a place I don’t live).
— Joe Crowley (@JoeCrowleyforNY) July 12, 2018
She claims that the two have not spoken since her election night win on June 26. According to Ocasio-Cortez, the Working Families Party asked Crowley to take his name off the ballot, something he refused to do.
WFP executive director Bill Lipton agreed with her side of the story as he gave the following statement to the New York Post, “they refused to consider it.”
The New York native also gives a background of her humble beginnings, revealing that she had been a bartender as recent as three weeks before election day, and looking back at her time in Boston University interning for the late Ted Kennedy, growing up in New York, as well as her first experiences in politics.
Watch the full conversation below.