Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Born 1989 · Age 37
American politician and activist; U.S. Representative for New York's 14th district since 2019; progressive leader, member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the 'Squad'.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in the Bronx (Parkchester)
Born to Sergio Ocasio-Roman and Blanca Ocasio-Cortez in Parkchester, Bronx, New York.
Family moved to Yorktown Heights for schools
Parents moved the family ~30 minutes north so Alexandria and her brother could attend higher-quality public schools.
Intel ISEF 2nd place (microbiology)
Placed second in the microbiology category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for research on antioxidants and C. elegans.
Asteroid 23238 named 'Ocasio-Cortez' in her honor
MIT Lincoln Laboratory named a small asteroid (23238 Ocasio-Cortez) in appreciation of her science fair work.
Graduated Yorktown High School
Completed high school; participated in National Hispanic Institute programs.
Interned in Senator Ted Kennedy's office
Interned in Ted Kennedy's foreign affairs and immigration office, assisting Spanish-speaking constituents.
Father died; family financial hardship
Father Sergio Ocasio-Roman died of lung cancer; family faced medical bills and probate disputes that strained finances.
Graduated Boston University, cum laude (BA)
Earned bachelor's degrees in International Relations and Economics; held John F. Lopez Fellowship and LDZ leadership roles.
Moved back to the Bronx; worked in service and nonprofit roles
Worked as a bartender/waitress to help family and took positions including Educational Director at the National Hispanic Institute.
Founded Brook Avenue Press (children's press)
Launched a small publishing venture focused on positive portrayals of the Bronx (later defunct).
Organizer for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign
Worked as a volunteer organizer in the South Bronx during the 2016 Democratic primary.
Visited Standing Rock; political turning point
Traveled to Standing Rock protest; cited the visit as inspiring her to run for office.
Contacted by Brand New Congress about running
Received a recruitment call shortly after Standing Rock and Election Day encouraging her to run for Congress.
Launched campaign for NY-14 while bartending
Officially began her long-shot congressional campaign while working at Flats Fix in Union Square.
Campaign fundraising disparity noted
Noted as being outspent roughly 18-to-1 in the primary (reported $1.5M for Crowley vs. ~$83k for Ocasio-Cortez early in the race).
Defeated Joe Crowley in Democratic primary
Won a major upset with 57.13% (15,897 votes) defeating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley.
Won general election for NY-14
Defeated Republican Anthony Pappas with 78.2% of the vote (110,318 votes); Crowley remained on other lines.
Campaign finance totals (2018 year-end)
Reported campaign receipts through Dec 31, 2018: $2,147,896; cash on hand $365,237 (campaign numbers, not personal assets).
First major floor speech; C-SPAN viral video
First House floor speech in January 2019 became C-SPAN's most-watched House Twitter video within 12 hours.
Assigned to House committees (116th Congress)
Upon entering the 116th Congress she served on committees including Financial Services and Oversight (assignments evolved over subsequent Congresses).
First-term legislative productivity and constituent services
Introduced 23 pieces of legislation in her first term; opened district office cases (~1,400) and secured ~$470M in federal grants for NY-14 during the first term.
Sworn into U.S. House of Representatives
Assumed office as U.S. Representative for NY-14; youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
Netflix documentary 'Knock Down the House' released (theatrical SUNDANCE/PV earlier)
Rachel Lears' documentary focusing on 2018 progressive candidates (including Ocasio-Cortez) premiered at Sundance and was released on Netflix May 1, 2019.
Introduced the Green New Deal resolution (H. Res. 109)
Submitted the non-binding Green New Deal resolution co-authored with Senator Ed Markey, proposing a 10-year mobilization to address climate and jobs.
High-profile questioning of Michael Cohen at oversight hearing
Questioned Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen during Oversight Committee testimony; exchanges drew national attention and prompted further investigations.
Lawsuits filed over blocking critics on Twitter
Two lawsuits alleged she blocked critics on Twitter; later settled with an apology announced Nov 4, 2019.
Subject of heated national discourse after Trump attacks 'the Squad'
Became a prominent target of President Trump's July 2019 attacks on four progressive congresswomen, increasing national profile.
Won 2020 Democratic primary (NY-14)
Defeated Michelle Caruso-Cabrera in the Democratic primary (74.4% per Ballotpedia).
Twitch Among Us stream (first major stream)
Hosted an Among Us Twitch stream with Rep. Ilhan Omar and major streamers; peaked at ~400,000 viewers and boosted her public image.
Re-elected to U.S. House (2020 general election)
Won general reelection to represent NY-14 (71.6% per Ballotpedia).
Fundraising Twitch stream raised $200,000 for COVID relief
Second Among Us stream raised $200,000 for food pantries, eviction defense legal aid, and community support organizations.
Assigned House committees (117th Congress)
Committee assignments updated for 117th Congress (e.g., Financial Services; Oversight) reflecting evolving priorities and seniority.
Amendments passed: opioid treatment & Puerto Rico cleanup funding
Saw three amendments pass into law during her first term, including shifting $5M to opioid treatment and $10M to clean up toxic bombardment sites in Puerto Rico.
Town hall & constituent engagement milestone
Hosted 25 town halls in her first term and provided accessible services including language translation and disability access.
Sworn in for second term
Began second term in Congress; continued high-profile progressive advocacy.
Sheltered during the U.S. Capitol attack
Experienced the January 6 attack on the Capitol; later recounted fear and evacuation experiences.
Publicly disclosed past sexual assault
In an extended Instagram Live, she discussed prior sexual assault and reflected on trauma during the Capitol attack.
American Rescue Plan enacted; Funeral Assistance included
Worked to include funeral assistance in COVID-19 relief; program would later reimburse over $1 billion to families.
Reintroduced Green New Deal; >115 cosponsors
Reintroduced an updated Green New Deal resolution expanding co-sponsorship and continuing climate mobilization advocacy.
Capitol steps sit-in for eviction moratorium
Joined Rep. Cori Bush in a multi-day sit-in; administration later acted to extend eviction protections temporarily.
Attended 2021 Met Gala wearing 'Tax the Rich' dress
Appearance drew national attention and an ethics complaint alleging improper gift acceptance; sparked debate over elites and messaging.
Paul Gosar edited anime video controversy and House censure
Rep. Paul Gosar posted an edited anime sequence depicting violence against her; the House censured Gosar after debate and investigation.
Announced engagement to Riley Roberts
Publicly announced engagement to longtime partner Riley Roberts (reported in 2022).
Federal omnibus included nearly $7M for district projects
March 2022 omnibus included nearly $7 million for ten community projects in NY-14, ranging from youth violence intervention to healthcare.
Re-elected to third term (2022)
Ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and won the November general election handily.
Assigned to committees (118th Congress)
Committee assignments adjusted for 118th Congress (e.g., Natural Resources, Oversight, Energy-related subcommittees).
Campaign committee fundraising milestone (since 2019)
By April 2024 reporting, her campaign committee had raised more than $37 million since 2019 (campaign funds, not personal assets).
Social media reach milestone (X followers)
As of June 2024 reported to have ~13.1 million followers on X (formerly Twitter).
DSA National Political Committee conditional endorsement (June 23, 2024)
DSA NPC voted to endorse her conditional on meeting demands, mainly regarding Palestine; later controversy followed.
Won 2024 Democratic primary overwhelmingly
Defeated Marty Dolan in the June 25, 2024 Democratic primary with ~81.8% of the vote.
Gave major primetime speech at 2024 Democratic National Convention
Delivered her first major convention speech in a primetime slot at the 2024 DNC, supporting the Harris–Walz campaign.
DSA NPC withdrew endorsement (July 10, 2024)
DSA NPC rescinded its endorsement citing disagreements over statements and actions related to Israel/Palestine.
Re-elected in 2024 general election
Won November 5, 2024 general election (Ballotpedia: 68.9%, 132,714 votes).
Instagram follower milestone (8.4M)
Reported to have ~8.4 million followers on Instagram as of January 2025.
Most-followed user on Bluesky (2M)
Reported to be the most-followed user on Bluesky with ~2 million followers as of March 2025.
House Ethics Committee ruling re: 2021 Met Gala
In July 2025 the House Ethics Committee found she violated rules by not paying full market value for attire/services and improperly accepting free admission for her fiancé; ordered to pay ~ $3,000 to settle.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Laura Deming
Born 1994 · Age 32
Venture capitalist and longevity researcher focused on life extension, founder/partner of The Longevity Fund and later age1; early lab researcher in aging, Thiel Fellow who left MIT to build venture-backed companies and funds in longevity.
Marc Lou
Born 1994 · Age 32
French solopreneur and serial SaaS maker — founder of ShipFast, Habits Garden and multiple small SaaS projects; known for rapid product launches, viral marketing, and paid courses.
Vitalik Buterin
Born 1994 · Age 32
Russian–Canadian programmer, co‑founder of Ethereum and Bitcoin Magazine, prominent researcher and philanthropist in crypto, AI safety and longevity.
Jaboukie Young-White
Born 1994 · Age 32
American comedian, actor, writer and musician known for social-media-driven comedy, correspondent work on The Daily Show, voice roles in animation, film and a music career as 'jaboukie.'
Bhuvan Bam
Born 1994 · Age 32
Indian comedian, writer, singer, actor, songwriter and YouTube personality best known for the comedy channel BB Ki Vines.
Lucy Guo
Born 1994 · Age 32
American entrepreneur, engineer and social media influencer; co‑founder of Scale AI and founder & CEO of Passes. As of 2025 she is reported to be the world's youngest self-made female billionaire due to her retained stake in Scale AI.