Oct 19, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Bernie Sanders secures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement at New York rally

Rashaan Ayesh

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Bernie Sanders' rally. — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to a crowd of supporters for Sen. Bernie Sanders during a campaign rally on Oct. 19 in New York City. Photo: JOHANNES EISELE / Contributor/Getty Images

2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday held his first campaign rally since his recent heart attack and surgery, joined by freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)

Why it matters: Sanders formally secured the coveted Ocasio-Cortez endorsement during the rally in Queens. The support shows Sanders is still a "formidable contender" and shifts the "conversation away from his health issues and age, infusing his campaign with a renewed sense of vitality," writes the New York Times.

Sanders' campaign recently announced it raised $25.3 million during Q3.

What she's saying: AOC credits a variety of issues — from Medicare for All to the elimination of student debt — that have risen to the forefront of the 2020 Democratic primary discussion to Sanders.

"In 2016, he fundamentally changed politics in America. We right now have one of the best Democratic candidates presidential primary fields in a generation, and much of that is thanks to the work Bernie Sanders has done."

The big picture: Sanders' campaign hopes the Ocasio-Cortez endorsement will highlight his ability to build a multiracial, working-class coalition of voters, notes the Times. These endorsements could also help Sanders reinvigorate young, female supporters who helped him secure primary states in 2016.

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Bernie Sanders secures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement at New York rally

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