Opinion: How AOC is picking up the torch from the retiring generation

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of New York’s 20 most influential politicians of the past 20 years. See the full list.

I first came to Congress in 1993, fresh off a victory over an entrenched and powerful incumbent. From the moment I stepped foot in the U.S. Capitol, it was clear that this institution was not built for people like me.

I had to fight to be taken seriously, whether it was because of my age (just 39, at the time), the way I spoke, or the simple fact that I was a Latina. I came to work every day determined to make sure my constituents’ voices were heard, even if I had to raise my own to make that happen.

I saw a lot of those early days reflected back at me when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came to Washington, D.C., in 2019.

She had the eyes of the world on her after upending the New York political establishment and taking down one of the most powerful Democrats in the House in a race almost nobody expected her to win. She ran on “Medicare for All,” a Green New Deal and a message that politics as usual would no longer cut it. Almost overnight, she became one of the most prominent politicians in America.

And she was not afraid to ruffle some feathers. Before she was even sworn in, she joined young climate activists protesting outside Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office. She made it clear from the beginning that she had not come to Washington, D.C., just to fit in.

Since then, I have watched Ocasio-Cortez grow as a legislator while never forgetting who she is or what she is fighting for. She has also changed the way politicians communicate with people. The media is trained on her every move, and a few words from her can shape a national conversation or set off the outrage machine.

What people may not see is the work she does behind the scenes. I have seen that firsthand through our work on Puerto Rico, where the issues are complicated, often unglamorous and sometimes thankless.

We have worked together for years on questions surrounding the island’s political status and its future. Ocasio-Cortez takes that work seriously, even when there are no cameras around and there’s no political reward for doing it.

Her victory also showed a new generation in New York that they did not have to wait their turn or ask permission to challenge the status quo. You can see her influence in the way campaigns are run across our city and state, from policy platforms to the use of social media to reach voters. She has inspired young leaders and helped loosen the grip of political machines that once seemed untouchable.

Even after more than 30 years in public service, retirement has at times been an agonizing decision for me, especially when we face so many problems.

But that decision has been made easier knowing that leaders like Ocasio-Cortez are here. And I know that future generations will not have to wonder, as I once did, whether there is a place for them in government.