The quartet of first-term progressive representatives best known as “the Squad” are sticking around Washington a little while longer: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) have all won reelection to another two years in Congress.
On Tuesday, the Democratic women of colour, who are frequent targets of President Donald Trump, resolidified their standing in Congress by winning reelection in New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan.
Endorsed and shaped by the progressive group Justice Democrats, the lawmakers’ victories are enhanced by those of three other Justice Democrat-backed candidates who were also elected on Tuesday.
Those individuals include Jamaal Bowman in New York’s 16th Congressional District, Cori Bush in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, and Marie Newman in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District.
Notably, Bush ― a woman of color like the rest of the Squad ― has already been unofficially welcomed to the crew on social media.
Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, said in a statement to The Independent that “the Squad is continuing to grow and it will hold the next administration accountable to a bold governing agenda.”
“The Congress Joe Biden could likely be inheriting is far more progressive than the one Barack Obama inherited in 2009 and can help make the Biden administration the most progressive administration in generations,” said Rojas.
People on social media celebrated the Squad’s return to Congress: