Special Report - Inside the progressive movement roiling the U.S. Democratic Party

FILE PHOTO: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at the Netroots Nation annual conference for political progressives in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. August 4, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo

MIAMI (Reuters) - In another year, Donna Shalala might have had an easy ride to Washington.

Running to become a first-time congresswoman in a Miami seat at age 77, Shalala has long been a member of the Democratic Party elite, with a deep resume that includes supervising U.S. health policy for former President Bill Clinton. Her slogan, printed on the back of her staff’s t-shirts, could have come from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign playbook: “Ready on Day One.”