With a little more than two weeks to go until the midterm elections, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stumped for Democratic candidates in Orange County Sunday.
Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive New York congresswoman, appeared at the rally at UC Irvine on Oct. 23 to galvanize people to register to vote and support Democrats in the upcoming election.
Emily Daniels-Flechtner, president of Cal State Fullerton’s Progressive Club, makes her pro-choice views known during a a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the featured speaker who urged young people to vote for democrats. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A pro-Trump supporter confronts a woman with a life-sized cutout of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. The woman asked for a police escort back to her car. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A couple thousand supporters of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed up for a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talks to supporters at a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. She was there to fire-up younger voters and make sure they turn out for midterm elections. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A couple thousand supporters of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a couple dozen protesters, showed up for a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A Trump supporter goes toe-to-toe with a woman after a rally at UC Irvine, featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a representative of New York’s 14th Congressional District, on Sunday, October 23, 2022. Ocasio-Cortez urged young people to vote for local democrats during midterm elections. The event included a few clashes but was mostly peaceful. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Iris “Nini” Wu, with Orange County Young Democrats and a UC Irvine student, makes the anteater symbol, her school’s mascot. She spoke during a rally featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday, October 23, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Former spokesperson for President Barack Obama, Tommy Vietor, speaks at a rally in Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022, urging young people to vote for Democrats in local mid-term elections. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez waves to supporters at a rally at UC Irvine on Sunday, October 23, 2022. She was there to fire-up younger voters and make sure they turn out for midterm elections. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ocasio-Cortez is the second high-profile Democrat to visit Irvine in recent weeks. President Joe Biden visited Irvine Valley College on Oct. 14 where he touted his administration’s efforts to combat inflation and cut down on rising drug costs.
At least 1,000 people showed up to see the New York congresswoman speak on the warm October day, according to a UC Irvine employee. Most supported her message; however, an estimated few dozen protestors also gathered.
Matthew Beckmann, a UCI political science professor, previously told the Register that Ocasio-Cortez has “a star power that will shine a light on local Democrats and put a little wind into the turnout sails.”
But a Republican National Committee spokeswoman accused Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who is up for re-election, was “cancelling on AOC.”
“DC Democrats are so desperate that they’re flying across the country to campaign for California candidates that don’t want to be seen with them,” the statement said.
Lindsay Reilly, a spokesperson for Porter’s campaign, said Porter was never scheduled to attend.
The Sunrise Movement Orange County, the Orange County Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood Generation Action UC Irvine, the UC Student Workers Union, and College Democrats at UCI hosted the event.
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