Candidate Warren has lunch with rising star Ocasio-Cortez

WASHINGTON – Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is breaking bread with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose endorsement in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary is a potentially powerful prize.

Warren and Ocasio-Cortez had lunch Thursday, the New Yorker confirmed on Twitter.

The two leading liberals have crossed paths before: Warren and Ocasio-Cortez both spoke last year at a gathering of progressive activists. But their meeting Thursday comes as Ocasio-Cortez’s clout with the Democrats’ liberal base seems to grow ever stronger.

Neither Warren’s nor Ocasio-Cortez’s offices offered details on what the two discussed or who initiated the meeting, though Ocasio-Cortez joked about a food item they ordered. Ocasio-Cortez, who worked for Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid in 2016, has declined to indicate whether or when she will endorse a presidential candidate.