The political action committee led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed Friday a slate of female 2020 congressional candidates, including a number of women of color, in races across the country.

Why it matters: The endorsements, first reported by the New York Times, highlight that Ocasio-Cortez plans to use her fundraising ability and public profile to support candidates that back her progressive aims — and, in the case of the Texas Senate race, directly challenge the party establishment's preferred candidates.

In two races, the PAC has chosen to back candidates who are primarying a sitting Democratic member of Congress. Both incumbents break with Democrats' progressive wing on key issues.

Illinois' Marie Newman is challenging Rep. Dan Lipinski, an opponent of abortion rights, while Texas' Jessica Cisneros is taking on Rep. Henry Cuellar, who has an A rating from the National Rifle Association.

What she's saying: "One of our primary goals is to reward political courage in Congress and also to help elect a progressive majority in the House of Representatives," Ocasio-Cortez told the Times.

"There’s kind of a dual nature to this: One is opening the door to newcomers, and the other is to reward members of Congress that are exhibiting very large amounts of political courage."

"Anyone can show up one day and say, 'I support all these policies; that makes me a progressive,' but one of the things that is really important to us is winning."

The Senate endorsement:

Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez (Texas)

The House endorsements: