Dem Sen Duckworth: Ocasio-Cortez’s Ideology the ‘Future of the Democratic Party’ in the Bronx, Won’t Win in the Midwest

Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reacted New York Democratic congressional hopeful Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory Tuesday night over Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY).

Host Jake Tapper asked if Ocasio-Cortez socialist platform was the future of the Democratic Party.

Partial transcript as follows:

TAPPER: There were obviously a lot of shockwaves in the Democratic Party Tuesday night, when 28-year-old Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, Joe Crowley, has a platform of Medicare for all, federal jobs guarantee, free college tuition.

Is this the future of the Democratic Party?

DUCKWORTH: I think it’s the future of the party in the Bronx, where she is.

I think that we, as legislators, need to listen to our constituency and get out there. I think what she did was, she did the hard work. She pounded the pavement, and she was out there talking to every one of her constituents. And I think that was the difference.

She turned out her voters and reflected the needs of her district.

TAPPER: Are you concerned at all that your party is going too far to the left to either win in the midterms or win back the White House?

DUCKWORTH: Well, I think that you can’t win the White House without the Midwest. And I don’t think that you can go too far to the left and still win the Midwest.

Coming from a Midwestern state, I think you need to be able to talk to the Industrial Midwest. You need to listen to the people there in order to win an election nationwide.

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