Fall Of A Democratic Leader Caps Strong Primary Night For Progressives

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster waves next to President Trump during a rally at Airport High School in West Columbia, S.C., on Monda

Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 12:35 a.m. ET

National progressives scored a major coup over the Democratic establishment Tuesday night as 28-year-old activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upset House Democratic Caucus chairman and longtime New York Rep. Joe Crowley.

It was a breakthrough for the left wing of the Democratic Party, in a primary season where they haven’t been able to cause too many headaches for the establishment. Crowley’s defeat capped a string of progressive victories over the Democratic establishment on Tuesday, including in the Maryland governor’s race, where Ben Jealous won the nomination with the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders.