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Knock Down the House: Netflix documentary editor thought Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'was going to lose'

Robin Blotnick expected Ocasio-Cortez to lose her first race and 'go on to great things'

Clémence Michallon
New York
Thursday 02 May 2019 14:43 EDT
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Knock Down The House: Early teaser

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The editor of a documentary chronicling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‘s successful midterms run has admitted that he never expected the congresswoman to win.

Robin Blotnick worked on Knock Down the House, the Netflix documentary that follows the campaigns of four progressive Democrats.

While Blotnick told Vulture he had an intuition that Ocasio-Cortez was “going to be a star”, he didn’t expect to see her become the US representative for New York’s 14th congressional district.

“I really thought she was the kind of candidate who was going to lose her first race and then go on to great things down the road,” Blotnick said.

“When she won, it surprised me, just like it did the whole nation.”

Rachel Lears, the film’s director, told the website she “didn’t have a crystal ball” and did not foresee the full extent of Ocasio-Cortez’s political ascent.

“I didn’t have this premonition that, you know, this person is the one that wins and becomes a superstar a year and a half from now,” Lears told the website.

Knock Down the House was released on 1 May on Netflix.

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In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, it documents the campaigns of Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin.

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