Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., plans to endorse Bernie Sanders for president at a rally this weekend, NBC News reported Tuesday, citing an advisor to the Vermont senator.
Another leftist Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also endorsed Sanders on Tuesday.
Ocasio-Cortez, at 30, is among the youngest members of the House, while the 78-year-old Sanders is the oldest candidate in the 2020 race. Both lawmakers identify as democratic socialists and have called for a radical overhaul to the American economy.
Sanders, during the Democratic primary debate Tuesday night, had teased that a "special guest" would be appearing at a rally in Queens, where part of Ocasio-Cortez's congressional district is located.
Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman in the House, quickly rose to national prominence as a firebrand of the progressive left and a target of conservatives, who have held hold her up as an unofficial leader of the Democratic Party.
Her expected endorsement of Sanders could make a significant difference in the 2020 contest. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has put forward a slew of progressive policies but calls herself a capitalist, is seen as fighting for some of the same voting blocs as Sanders.
In recent weeks, Warren's campaign has surged in national and primary state polls, putting her neck-and-neck with former Vice President Joe Biden.
The expected endorsement comes about three weeks after Sanders suffered a heart attack on the campaign trail.
"I'm healthy, I'm feeling great," Sanders said during the debate, to a round of applause.
The Washington Post first reported Ocasio-Cortez's expected endorsement, citing two people with knowledge of the freshman lawmaker's plans.
