Socialist candidate pulls a 'seismic political upset' against Democratic party boss

The Democratic Party faced an enormous shakeup Tuesday when an unlikely socialist candidate beat a powerful 10-term incumbent for one of New York's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

'A seismic political upset'

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, knocked out machine-boss incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y), who was widely considered a candidate to follow Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the leader of Democrats in the House of Representatives.

"We saw these numbers coming in, we couldn't believe it. We checked, we reloaded, this is a seismic political upset!" said MSNBC's Steve Kornacki in his typically breathless fashion.

"To put this in some perspective," he explained, "Joe Crowley has been there since 1998, he was thought to be the next Democratic leader in waiting potentially a speaker of the house here, he runs the Queens County Democratic Party in the old sense of the word."

Ocasio-Cortez won the 14th district in New York, which includes Queens and a portion of the Bronx. Crowley spent $1.09 million on the campaign in the same time that Ocasio-Cortez spent only $127,000.

"There is no other force, there is no other party, there is no other real ideology out there right now that is asserting the minimum elements necessary to lead a dignified American life," Ocasio-Cortez said of her socialist ideology.

Ocasio-Cortez ran on abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, tuition-free public college, Medicare for all, and criminal justice reform. She will likely go on to an easy victory in the heavily Democrat district, and become the first Latina to represent the district.

He should have been nicer to Trump

President Donald Trump commented on the shocking result from his social media account Tuesday.

"Wow!" he tweeted. "Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi’s place, just LOST his primary election. In other words, he’s out!"

"That is a big one that nobody saw happening," he added. "Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!"

Here's a news report about the shocking upset: