Lefty Freshmen Lawmakers Known as ‘The Bloc’ Swarm Capitol Hill for Cringey Photos
13th November 2026
The group of newly elected left-wing insurgent lawmakers, dubbed “The Bloc,” gathered on the steps of the Capitol Building Thursday to pose for cringey, yearbook-style photos.
Reps.-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier (D-NY), Claire Valdez (D-NY), Brad Lander (D-NY), Melat Kiros (D-Colo.), Adam Hamawy (D-NJ), Donavan McKinney (D-Mich.), Daniel Biss (D-Ill.), Dan Koh (D-Mass.), Chris Rabb (D-Pa.), Angela Gonzales-Torres (D-Calif.), Frederick Haynes III (D-Texas) and Patty Garcia (D-Ill.) were among the crew of progressives that huddled together during a break from the orientation programming.
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The gang — which is apparently differentiating itself from the “Squad” group of lefty pols led by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — represents just a fraction of the more than 70 new Democrats elected in the midterm blue wave.
Rep. Analilia Mejía (D-NJ), wearing a bright blue dress, stood front and center of the incoming “Bloc” members. Mejía, a former top campaign aide to democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, was elected to replace Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District last year.
When the photo shoot wrapped, several of the lefty pols shared selfies on social media that gave off strong first-day-of-school vibes.