Former news anchor to challenge Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the primary
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, longtime former CNBC anchor and correspondent, announced Tuesday her plan to run for Congress, challenging freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her seat representing New York’s 14th District.
Caruso-Cabrera announced on Twitter that she is running to "fight for the people of Queens and the Bronx."
She added that she's the daughter of Cuban Immigrants "living the American Dream."
According to a CNBC report, Caruso-Cabrera said she's running to give others the same chance.
"I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I’ve had," she said in a statement. "That’s why I’m running."
Caruso-Cabrera filed late Monday to the Federal Election Commission, less than two months before the April 2 filing deadline.
She's not the only one hoping to take the seat, eight other Republicans and four Democrats have also announced plans to challenge Ocasio-Cortez this year.
Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the popular young leaders of a progressive movement within the Democratic Party. In 2018, AOC won by a shockingly substantial margin over Democrat incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley.
AOC has also been active on the 2020 presidential campaign trail as a spokeswoman and surrogate for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist.
She and her fellow progressive congressional Democrats, including Minnesota Rep. Illhan Omar and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, endorsed Sanders’ presidential bid early on.
"I think his values, really speak to the reality and the values of not just young people, but people across the country," AOC said in a one-on-one interview with WMUR on Tuesday.
Her now competitor -- Caruso-Cabrera -- spent 20 years at CNBC as an anchor and reporter, and as a contributor since September 2018.
She will leave her role as a CNBC contributor to focus on campaigning, a spokesperson recently told CNBC.
Caruso-Cabrera is also the author of a 2010 book, "You Know I'm Right: More Prosperity, Less Government."
