AOC Endorses Tiffany Cabán For The Second Time

ASTORIA, QUEENS — U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) endorsed Tiffany Cabán on Monday, marking the congresswoman’s second show of support for Cabán, a progressive candidate who has gathered a series of high profile endorsements in her bid for City Council.

"Tiffany will put everything on the line to fight for us, and I am proud to endorse her for New York City Council District 22,” said Ocasio-Cortez in statement, describing Cabán as a candidate with the “vision, skills, and people-powered support we need in City Council to secure racial, social, and economic justice."

Although Ocasio-Cortez’s recent choice to endorse Maya Wiley for mayor was somewhat unexpected, this is the second time that the congresswoman has supported Cabán, following a show of support when she ran for Queens District Attorney in 2019, and her first City Council endorsement this cycle.

In a news release, Cabán said she is “proud to receive the endorsement of my Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was among the first to prove that the Movement can lead.”

District 22, where Cabán is running, encompasses some parts of northwestern Queens, including Astoria, that the congresswoman represents, and is also viewed as the epicenter of the borough’s — and the city’s — increasingly ascendent left — both points that Cabán alluded to in the endorsement news release.

Since she announced her candidacy for City Council last fall, Cabán, who is a public defender and a former national political organizer with the Working Families Party (WFP), quickly garnered support from a coalition of local leftist leaders and organizations — including Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, State Senator Jessica Ramos, the WFP and NYC Democratic Socialists of America.

“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement is a reflection of our campaign being rooted in the most transformative vision for our city. Building a city that works for the most marginalized means building a city that works for all of us,” said Cabán of Monday’s endorsement, which comes at a time when the candidate is working to secure more funds in the days leading up to early voting.

On Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez's Courage to Change PAC endorsed Evie Hantzopolous, one of the race's other progressive frontrunners, as its second choice ranked pick. The group endorsed Cabán as its first choice ranked pick.

Hantzopolous, a longtime district leader, is also performing well in the District 22 election, having raised more money from local donors than any other candidate in the race.

In the upcoming days and weeks before the June 22 primary elections, Ocasio-Cortez is preparing to show her support for a slew of progressive candidates.

Following her mayoral endorsement, the congresswoman said she plans to utilize ranked-choice voting to “rank in a way that maximizes the possibility of a New York for the many,” adding that she may announce other endorsements soon.