Former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera announced on Tuesday she will run in the Democratic House primary in New York against freshman representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In a statement, Ms Caruso-Cabrera said: "I am the daughter and granddaughter of working class Italian and Cuban immigrants. I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I've had. That's why I'm running."
The anchor worked with CNBC for more than two decades before moving into a contributor role in September 2018. She will not work for the network during her campaign, a CNBC representative said.
Besides her work as an anchor and contributor, Ms Caruso-Cabrera wrote a book in 2010 titled "You Know I'm Right: More Prosperity, Less Government." She has registered as a Democrat in the last several years while advocating for less government involvement and supporting free markets.
Ms Caruso-Cabrera will face a tough challenge in her attempt to unseat the incumbent.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez, 30, stunned the political world in 2018 by upsetting 10-term Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley during the party's congressional primary for the 14th District of New York, which covers parts of the Bronx and Queens.
Following the primary, the Bronx-native easily won the seat during the general by earning 76 per cent of the votes against Republican nominee Anthony Pappas.
Her role as a freshman representative in Congress did not stop Ms Ocasio-Cortez from making her mark as the far left of the Democratic Party. Popular positions she's advocated for during her two-year term include Medicare For All, universal healthcare, and pushing for The Green New Deal — legislation aimed at combating climate change and economic inequality.
She's hit the campaign trail in recent months for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders as he vies for the presidency.
Since the 2018 election, Ms Ocasio-Cortez has also garnered more than 6.3 million followers on Twitter, sparking reactions President Donald Trump and other Republican congressional members advocating against her platform.
The primary for New York's 14th District seat is scheduled for June 23 with nearly a dozen registered to run.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez' team has not responded to a request for comment about the newest addition to the race.
