Liberal duo bring message to Kansas

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez stump for local candidate

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — The new face of an emerging democratic socialist movement joined its patriarch in the most unlikely place Friday, calling on Kansans unhappy with the direction of the country to get off the sidelines in a pivotal Republican-held congressional district.

“We know that people in Kansas, just like everywhere else in this country, just like families in the Bronx, just want a fair shake,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the surprise winner in a House primary in New York last month, told a frenetic crowd of more than 3,000 in a Kansas suburb of Kansas City, Missouri.

Headlining a rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ocasio-Cortez sought to infuse the final weeks of Democrat Brent Welder’s congressional primary campaign with the enthusiasm that lifted her over 20-year Democratic incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley last month.

The 28-year-old Latina from New York and the 76-year-old Jewish senator from Vermont struck a stark contrast in the hotel ballroom. Their combined messages sought to unite not just the diverse group in the hall, but also restless liberals around the country.

“Whether you live in Kansas or Vermont or New York City, you want your children to have a decent life,” Sanders said. “And yes, we have differences. But despite these huge differences, we have a hell of a lot more in common.”

Welder is competing in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, which is represented by four-term Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder. The district is on Democrats’ target list as they aim to seize the GOP-controlled House in November. Nationally, the party must pick up at least 23 Republican-held seats to claim the House majority, and they are focusing on 25 districts where Hillary Clinton won or Donald Trump won narrowly in 2016.

State Rep. Tom Cox, a moderate Kansas City-area Republican, said there are pockets of liberal Democrats in the Kansas City suburbs, but he questioned whether Sanders’ message will resonate more broadly. He said Democrats tend to be split between liberals and moderates, with some union members and supporters holding conservative views on social issues.

“Even our Democrats around here are not socialist democrats,” he said. “If someone would describe the 3rd District, I would say center right.”

Luke Harbur The Associated Press New York congressional candidate Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez speaks Friday in support of Kansas Democrat Brent Welder at the Jack Reardon Convention Center in Kanas City, Kan.