A Far-Left Freedom Caucus Would Be a Nightmare for Jeffries

Progressive wins in Democratic primaries could mean a significant bloc of new members threaten the potential speaker’s agenda.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Democratic leaders should welcome new progressives and value their input on policy. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-New York) has a message for the far-left Democrats who won in Tuesday’s primaries and are all but guaranteed to join Congress in January: tone it down.

But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), the liberal icon whose 2018 upset win inspired this movement, had a very different message directed at the old-line Democrats: welcome these incoming progressives with open arms, or else they’ll spark ideological clashes.

These competing visions for who’s responsible for modifying their approach could go a long way toward determining how Democrats will rule the House of Representatives, should they win the majority in November.