Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a news conference. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was more recognizable to a focus group of Wisconsin swing voters than every Democratic presidential prospect except Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Elizabeth Warren.
Why it matters: AOC has only been in Congress for a few months, yet she's breaking through even in rural areas of the Midwest. It's not a great start for the 2020 Democrats who aren't recognizable at all in Wisconsin, a key battleground state, despite all the national attention they’re getting.
- This was another takeaway from the Engagious/FPG focus group of swing voters I watched last week, which included eight Obama/Trump voters and four Mitt Romney/Hillary Clinton voters.
Between the lines: They even knew some of the issues she stands for (though not the Green New Deal). That's more than they knew about the senators.
- "Her latest slogan was: 'I'm here to serve; I'm not here to gain power," one woman said of Ocasio-Cortez. Another mentioned her focus on environmental issues and tackling inequality.
- Beto O'Rourke didn't resonate with them. "I think I've heard the name on the radio," said Adam K., a 47-year-old Obama/Trump voter.
- Only three people knew Kamala Harris is a senator, and one man, George E., said "I saw her on The Colbert Show."
How it worked: We showed the focus group participants photos of each candidate without their name and asked them to score on a scale of 1 to 10 how confident they were in recognizing that person.
- Sanders was by far the most recognizable, followed closely by Biden and Warren.
- Sens. Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and Harris scored at or around 2.5 out of 10.
- Everyone else was virtually unrecognizable among these Wisconsin swing voters.
- Jay Inslee and O'Rourke earned a score of 1 out of 10, and the rest — Julián Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, and John Hickenlooper — fell below that.
- Somewhat surprisingly, these voters recognized Tulsi Gabbard even more than Inslee and O'Rourke.
Go deeper: Wisconsin swing voters are tired of Trump