Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "squad" could get a lot bigger with the wave of female congressional candidates she endorsed on Friday.

The socialist surprised many by defeating Rep. Joe Crowley, a high-ranking incumbent, in a primary race in New York in 2018. Now, she’s looking to find more women to follow in her footsteps to replace centrist incumbents with younger, more liberal candidates.

After teasing a "big announcement" late Thursday, the 30-year-old congresswoman revealed the slate of candidates she is supporting with her political action committee Courage to Change as they primary Democratic incumbents throughout the United States. Ocasio-Cortez also revealed she is backing a few liberal candidates who are facing off against establishment picks for races that do not have a Democratic incumbent, such as the Senate race in Texas.

"It’s time to elect a progressive majority in Congress accountable to strong, grassroots movements that push support for issues like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, racial justice, & more," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "It’s time to elect public servants with the Courage to Change."

It’s time to elect a progressive majority in Congress accountable to strong, grassroots movements that push support for issues like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, racial justice, & more.



It’s time to elect public servants with the Courage to Change: https://t.co/K6JXmCH2Vh — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 21, 2020

“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 New York 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.”

Ocasio-Cortez said she does not view this as a symbolic effort to back liberal candidates. “One of the things that is really important to us is winning," she said.

“It’s important for us to create mechanisms of support because so much of what is happening in Washington is driven by fear of loss,” Ocasio-Cortez explained. “We can really create an ecosystem that makes people more comfortable into making the leap to make politically courageous choices.”

The congresswoman chose races throughout the country and did not focus on just one region or type of state. Some of the centrist Democrats Ocasio-Cortez is hoping to oust include Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, Illinois Rep. Daniel Lipinski, and Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon. Many of these congressmen hold views Ocasio-Cortez opposes. They include Lipinski, who opposes abortion, and Cuellar, who has one of the highest ratings from the National Rifle Association.

In a fundraising pitch, Courage to Change condemned the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for valuing wealthy candidates rather than candidates that carry liberal values. The group said, “When community leaders, activists, and working-class candidates try to run for office, organizations like the D.C.C.C. discourage them. These potential progressive leaders are asked: ‘Can you raise $300,000 from your friends and family? If not, don’t bother trying.’”

Ocasio-Cortez raised $1.4 million for her campaign in January alone. Despite her influence, the congressman admitted she feels lonely in the position and wants more liberal members to join her in Congress as she reshapes the Democratic Party.

“While I think sometimes a lot of people see this as a huge amassing of influence or power or money or what have you, my personal experience does not feel that way — it can feel very lonely,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I think my ambition right now is to be a little less lonely in Congress.”