What is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's net worth and salary?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, often referred to as 'AOC,' is an American politician and educator with a net worth of $200 thousand. She gained national recognition after winning the Democratic primary for New York's 14th congressional district in 2018 and became the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
Before her political career, Ocasio-Cortez worked as a bartender and waitress to support her family after her father's death. She is a graduate of Boston University with a degree in economics and international relations.
In Congress, Ocasio-Cortez is a prominent advocate for progressive policies such as the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and free public college education. She serves on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Oversight and Reform. Known for her strong social media presence and willingness to challenge the Democratic Party establishment, she has become a key figure in the progressive movement, resonating particularly with younger voters.
Salary
Ocasio-Cortez's annual Congressional salary is $174,000.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wealth Disclosures
In April 2018, Ocasio-Cortez's financial disclosure revealed she had between $1,000 and $15,000 in savings, between $15,000 and $50,000 in checking, and $50,000 in student loan debt. The disclosure showed she earned $26,581 working at a coffee shop/taqueria in 2017 and received $6,000 from her campaign as a salary. In her first year in Congress, she earned $174,000 and also received a $3,000 annual living expense credit, along with health insurance and retirement benefits.
The Center for Responsive Politics ranks her as one of the least wealthy members of the 116th Congress.
(Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Athena Film Festival)
Early Life and Career
Born on October 13, 1989, in New York City to Blanca and Sergio Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria grew up in the suburban neighborhood of Yorktown Heights. Her father was a small business owner, and her mother cleaned homes. She excelled at Yorktown High School and finished second in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007.
After high school, she enrolled at Boston University, where she interned for U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. Ocasio-Cortez graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and economics.
Post-college, she took up bartending and waitressing to help her mother avoid foreclosure. She also launched Brook Avenue Press, a publishing firm, and worked for the nonprofit National Hispanic Institute. In 2016, she became an organizer for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and was inspired to enter politics after visiting various states affected by the water crisis and the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.
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Political Career
Ocasio-Cortez launched her campaign for Congress in April 2017, challenging Joe Crowley, the Democratic Caucus Chair. Despite being significantly outspent, she relied on grassroots mobilization and refused corporate donations. Ocasio-Cortez won the primary with over 57% of the vote, a result described as the biggest upset of the 2018 election. In the general election, she defeated the Republican nominee Anthony Pappas with 78% of the vote.
At 29, she became the youngest woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She is a member of 'The Squad,' a group of progressive congressmembers including Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman.
In 2022, she was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Tina Forte and Conservative Party nominee Desi Cuellar in the general election.
Political Positions
A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Ocasio-Cortez supports single-payer Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, student debt cancellation, and guaranteed family leave. She has called for abolishing ICE, ending privatized prisons, stricter gun control, and progressive environmental reforms through the Green New Deal. Her environmental plan calls for 100% renewable energy and ending fossil fuel usage. She also advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy to fund these initiatives and supports increased civil rights for Puerto Rico.
Personal Life
Ocasio-Cortez is Roman Catholic. During her 2018 campaign, she lived in the Bronx with her partner, Riley Roberts, a web developer. They got engaged in April 2022 in Puerto Rico. Ocasio-Cortez has been in psychotherapy following the 2021 United States Capitol attack to cope with the aftermath.
