Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
DemocratU.S. Representative, NY-14| Age | 36 (b. 1989-10-13) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2019-01-03 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Hispanic/Latina (Puerto Rican descent) |
| Religion | Catholic (Roman Catholic; has publicly identified as Catholic and written about her faith) |
| Education | Yorktown High School (2007); Boston University, B.A. in International Relations and Economics, cum laude (2011) |
| Prior occupation | Bartender and waitress; community organizer; worked for the National Hispanic Institute; organizer for Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | The Bronx (Parkchester), New York |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Marital status | Engaged (to Riley Roberts since 2022; not married as of mid-2025) — Riley Roberts (fiance/partner) |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | The Bronx, New York (also Washington, D.C.) |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2018 |
| Committees | Committee on Energy and Commerce (119th Congress; subcommittees on Energy, Health, and Oversight and Investigations) · Committee on Oversight and Accountability (Vice Ranking Member, 118th Congress) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus · "The Squad" (informal progressive bloc) |
| Leadership | Vice Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Accountability (118th Congress) |
| Party history | Democratic Party. Also affiliated with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Working Families Party; DSA voted to un-endorse her in 2024. |
| Ideology | Widely described as progressive/left-wing; member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and 'the Squad.' Note: Voteview's DW-NOMINATE estimates her as relatively moderate on the first dimension because she occasionally votes against the bill on the floor with Republicans on procedural/protest grounds, which the algorithm reads as conservative. |
| Signature legislation | Green New Deal resolution (H.Res. 109, 2019, co-sponsored with Sen. Ed Markey) · Articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito (2024) · Bipartisan congressional stock-trading ban proposals (with Rep. Chip Roy, 2023/2025) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $17,000–$81,000 (2024) · estimate
| Savings account | other · $1,001–$15,000 · 2022 |
| Checking account | other · $1,001–$15,000 · 2022 |
| Brokerage account | other · $1,001–$15,000 · 2022 |
| 401(k)/Thrift Savings Plan | fund · $1,001–$15,000 · 2022 |
Top donors: University of California ($57,901 (2024 cycle))
Top industries: Retired ($2,165,461, 2024 cycle) · Education · Democratic/liberal donors (small-dollar individual contributions, ~70% of total)
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Settlement of First Amendment lawsuit over blocking a critic on Twitter
In July 2019, former New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind sued Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, alleging she violated his First Amendment rights by blocking him on her Twitter account after he criticized her. On November 4, 2019, she settled the lawsuit, unblocking Hikind and issuing a public apology stating that blocking him 'was wrong and improper and does not reflect the values I cherish.' The settlement involved no monetary payment or court judgment of liability.
resolved — House Ethics Committee Finding: Impermissible Gift Acceptance at 2021 Met Gala
The House Committee on Ethics unanimously found that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez violated House gift rules by impermissibly accepting free admission for her partner and undervalued goods and services at the September 2021 Met Gala, where she wore the viral 'Tax the Rich' gown. The OCE referred the matter in June 2022; the Ethics Committee investigation ran approximately three and a half years and involved over 12,000 pages of documents. The committee did not issue a censure or reprimand but directed her to pay roughly $2,983 in additional personal funds, after which the matter would be considered closed.