[rad-green] Pushing for 'Political Courage,' Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Slate of Progressive Women Challenging Establishment

*https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/21/pushing-political-courage-ocasio-cortez-endorses-slate-progressive-women-challenging
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/21/pushing-political-courage-ocasio-cortez-endorses-slate-progressive-women-challenging>Common
Dreams          February 21, 2020Pushing for 'Political Courage,'
Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Slate of Progressive Women Challenging
Establishment"If we're going to build an economy...that centers
working-class families, things must change. And that starts by electing new
progressive leaders who exemplify political courage."by Julia Conley, staff
writer*

*Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) attends a House Financial Services
Committee organizational meeting in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, January
30, 2019. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)*

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday released her first slate of
endorsements through her political action committee, Courage to Change,
announcing her backing of seven progressive women running for congressional
seats.

Several of the candidates primary challengers to more centrist Democrats
who have the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
(DCCC) and other establishment Democrats.

Today @CouragetoChange
<https://twitter.com/CouragetoChange?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> is announcing its
first endorsements of newcomers to Congress:

SENATE
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez (TX)

HOUSE
Teresa Fernandez (NM)
Kara Eastman (NE)
Georgette Gomez (CA)
Marie Newman (IL)
Jessica Cisneros (TX)
Samelys Lopez (NY) https://t.co/sbSKTipijm

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 21, 2020
<https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1230874275520876545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Ocasio-Cortez's list includes
<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/ocasio-cortez-builds-progressive-campaign-arm-to-challenge-democrats.html>House
candidates Teresa Fernandez of New Mexico, Samelys López of New York, and
Georgette Gómez of California, who are all running for open seats. López,
who has experienced homelessness in the past, called Ocasio-Cortez's
support "a great honor."

As a directly impacted person who has experienced homelessness and many
other issues our neighbors in #NY15
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/NY15?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> are facing,
receiving the endorsement of @AOC
<https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>'s @CouragetoChange
<https://twitter.com/CouragetoChange?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> is a great honor.

We can't do this without you. Chip in $27 now to help fuel us!

https://t.co/pzXB1PaduH pic.twitter.com/yVU9BfZwX5 <https://t.co/yVU9BfZwX5>

— Samelys López for NY-15 (Bronx) (@SamelysLopez) February 21, 2020
<https://twitter.com/SamelysLopez/status/1230863017535066113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The congresswoman also endorsed Kara Eastman, who is challenging Rep. Don
Bacon (R-Neb.); and Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, a labor activist who is
challenging Democrat M.J. Hegar and several other candidates for the Senate
seat held by Texas Republican John Cornyn. Hegar is supported by the Democratic
Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Tzintzún Ramirez was also recently endorsed
<https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/19/cristina-tzintzun-ramirez-gets-super-pac-help-challenge-john-cornyn/>
by
Lone Star Forward PAC, a committee with ties to Way to Win, another
progressive organization.

Courage to Change also officially announced its endorsement of two more
progressives who are challenging longtime conservative Democratic
lawmakers: Marie Newman
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/17/applauding-progressive-challenger-championing-green-new-deal-and-medicare-all-ocasio>
of
Illinois and Jessica Cisneros
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/22/ocasio-cortez-endorses-powerful-progressive-fighter-jessica-cisneros-primary-fight>of
Texas. Ocasio-Cortez said last year that she was endorsing the two
candidates.

All of the endorsed candidates back progressive priorities like Medicare
for All and the Green New Deal and environmental justice.

"One of our primary goals is to reward political courage in Congress and
also to help elect a progressive majority in the House of Representatives,"
Ocasio-Cortez told
<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/ocasio-cortez-builds-progressive-campaign-arm-to-challenge-democrats.html>
 the *New York Times.* "There's kind of a dual nature to this: One is
opening the door to newcomers, and the other is to reward members of
Congress that are exhibiting very large amounts of political courage."

Courage to Change was set up in January
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/13/ocasio-cortezs-revolt-against-dccc-exactly-what-we-need-say-progressive-democrats>
with
the aim of helping "working-class champions" and working people get elected
to public office. Ocasio-Cortez worked in the service industry just months
before her surprise primary victory against former Rep. Joe Crowley in New
York's 14th congressional district.

"All of our endorsed candidates refuse corporate PAC donations and center
their movements on an inclusive message that puts working-families
first—not wealthy donors," wrote Ocasio-Cortez in an email to supporters
Friday. The congresswoman began her PAC after the DCCC announced
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/02/gatekeeper-mentality-dccc-blacklist-adding-divisions-within-democratic-party>
it
would blacklist any political consultants who advised primary challengers
to incumbent Democrats.

Ocasio-Cortez has refused to pay dues to the DCCC due to the blacklist,
declining to contribute to a fund which could harm Newman's and Cisneros's
campaigns, and has instead raised money on her own for progressives.

"If we're going to build an economy that works for all, a democracy that
includes everyone, and a society that centers working-class families,
things must change," Ocasio-Cortez wrote Friday, "And that starts by
electing new progressive leaders who exemplify political courage, who
refuse to bow to corporate interests, and who will fight for social,
racial, economic, and environmental justice for all."

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