The not-so-backlash "backlash" to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A liberal candidate's success in her home district provides ammo for this contrarian take

How liberals feel when progressives win elections close to home

The takeaway: Left-Liberal primary challengers are (already) doing better than you might expect given the narrative surrounding them. Their polarizing effects, some argue, spell their downfall. Writers have implied that they face poor electoral prospects because they poll poorly among Americans, or that the Democratic Party writ large has rejected their place in the coalition. But a progressive candidate for the District Attorney in Queens, New York—which makes up part of the congressional district represented by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—might be on the verge of unseating a more mainstream incumbent; the election was last night and the race is still too close to call. So are all those naysayers right? Probably not. I list a few reasons why.