Meet the King of Swords (IRL) - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is the youngest woman ever to be elected to the senate. She was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 13, 1989. She's a Sagittarius Rising, Libra Sun (and stellium), and Aries Moon. So, she's the perfect air/fire blend to represent the King of Swords.

AOC was born to a working-class, Puerto-Rican family. She attended Boston University and simultaneously interned for Ted Kenndey, focusing on immigration issues. In May 2011, she graduated with a degree in economics and international relations and moved back to the Bronx. She worked as a community organizer for a while. However, her family was feeling the effects of the recession. Her father passed away from Cancer when AOC was in college. Her mother was cleaning houses to support two children. It was a constant fight to keep the home out of foreclosure. To help her mother, AOC supplemented her nonprofit position by working multiple jobs as a server and bartender. She has publicly credited serving work as being responsible for her thick skin. "I got really, really, really good at listening to people, and I got really good at understanding people's needs, beyond just food and drink," she said. "But I also had to grow a really thick skin to deal with rude customers and harassment."

At the time, Joseph Crowley was an undefeated 10-term Democratic Congressional Candidate in NY's 14th District (AOC's community) who hadn't faced a challenger in 14 years. As a result, he had become lazy and complacent in his role. He was largely absent from the area, completely out of touch with the people he represented, and he wasn't working on policy based on the needs of his constituents. The only thing he did seem to be effective at was fund-raising for his campaigns.

After watching her family and neighbors struggle, AOC had had enough. It was time to do something about the politicians who weren't in touch with what the local community was dealing with daily. She didn't have Crowley's funding, but she had airy ideas and a fiery sense of drive. She launched her bid in May 2017 with fewer than 300 Twitter followers. Her Facebook live streams often weren't even breaking 100 likes at the time. Her campaign was grassroots. She went door to door and personally spoke with people in her community. It was refreshing for them to see a candidate who looked like and lived as they did. She ran on a platform that included abolishing Immigration and the Customs Enforcement Agency, Medicare for all, green energy, higher wages for the working class, higher tax rates for the wealthy, and tuition-free college.

Crowley was un-phased by the newcomer. He had the funding. He had won 10 consecutive times. What did he have to worry about, right? Well, as it turns out, he had a lot to fear. In her campaigning, AOC spoke to Crowley's absenteeism. She understood the crushing financial burden on the working class, and she was able to talk to people from a place of empathy and lived experience, not from a mansion in another state. People responded, and things moved quickly from there.

In April 2018, The NYC Branch of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed AOC, and by May 2018, her campaign video was viral. Then in June 2018, AOC beat Crowley by 15 points. By July, AOC was touring the US with Bernie Sanders to campaign for progressive candidates. Then, in November 2018, AOC won the general election with 78% of the vote, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. In January 2019, she was sworn in with the most diverse class of congresspeople in US History.

She was re-elected for a second term on November 3, 2020. Since her election back in 2019, AOC has been vocal and polarizing for Democrats and Republicans. Her work includes contributions to the Green New Deal, which aggressively aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. She's also been particularly vocal on reproductive rights and border issues throughout her time in office.

Regardless of your opinion on her policies, she is absolutely the King of Swords (IRL). She's intelligent and driven, with a strong sense of justice and fairness. She knows how to work within the system to change the system, as is so characteristic of the Kings. There's often a common-sense quality to the King of Swords, and she's got it. Where so many people would have said, "I can't run against Crowley. I'll never win." She understood that she didn't need PAC funding as long as she had relatable ideas and dedication to the goal.