All Four Members of Congress' Progressive "Squad" Have Been Reelected

The Democratic Party's progressive "Squad"—Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib—have all been reelected.

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washington, dc july 15 us rep rashida tlaib d mi, rep ayanna pressley d ma, rep ilhan omar d mn, and rep alexandria ocasio cortez d ny pause between answering questions during a press conference at the us capitol on july 15, 2019 in washington, dc president donald trump stepped up his attacks on four progressive democratic congresswomen, saying if theyre not happy in the united states they can leave photo by alex wroblewskigetty images
(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

All four members of the Democrat's progressive "Squad" have won reelection to Congress, the Guardian reports. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have all secured second terms in the House.

The Squad, hugely popular among progressive Democrats, have championed causes including Medicare for All, drastic action against climate change, and racial justice. They've also withstood repeated racist and misogynistic attacks from Donald Trump—perhaps most notably in July 2019 when he falsely suggested they weren't American citizens in a series of racist tweets and public comments, saying they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." In a subsequent press conference, Ocasio-Cortez said, "What I want to tell children across this country is that no matter what the President says, this country belongs to you," while Pressley said, "Our squad includes any person committed to building a more equitable and just world, and that is the work that we want to get back to."

Omar celebrated the Squad's victory on Twitter, writing, "Our sisterhood is resilient." In a previous tweet, she wrote, "We are building a movement that sees my struggle as inherently tied to your struggle, and sees a world where all workers can be uplifted. Together," adding, "Today’s vote—the results of this election—are not the end. This is just the beginning.

"Serving NY-14 and fighting for working class families in Congress has been the greatest honor, privilege, & responsibility of my life," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "Thank you to the Bronx & Queens for re-electing me to the House despite the millions spent against us, & trusting me to represent you once more." She later commented on Joe Biden's poor performance among Latinx voters in Florida, writing, "I won’t comment much on tonight’s results as they are evolving and ongoing, but I will say we’ve been sounding the alarm about Dem vulnerabilities w/ Latinos for a long, long time. There is a strategy and a path, but the necessary effort simply hasn’t been put in."

Pressley tweeted, "Together, we have fought for our shared humanity. We have organized. We have mobilized. We have legislated our values." She continued, "I am so proud to be your Congresswoman & your partner in the work. I believe in the power of us. And we’re just getting started."

Tlaib tweeted, "#Detroit: I love you so much." She went on to retweet a video of ballot counters cheering to motivate each other as they counted absentee ballots, commenting, "#Detroit: You inspire me. You are showing up for our country. I love you so much."

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(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

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Emily Dixon
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.