Ocasio-Cortez Infuriates Fellow Dems, Party Colleagues Mull Idea of Primary Challenge
January 30, 2019
If the buzz around the Capitol is any indication, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York might pay for her flashy personification of progressive precepts with a primary challenge when the 2020 elections roll around.
Although a report report published by The Hill on Monday notes that colleagues will not speak for the record about a challenge, under the cloak of anonymity, things are different.
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” a Democratic member of Congress said, The Hill reported.
“You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 years for that seat. I’m sure they can find numerous people who want that seat in that district.”
Ocasio-Cortez rose to fame in June after defeating powerful Democrat Joseph Crowley in a Democratic primary.
A “political insider” said Ocasio Cortez was “pissing off a lot of people and has probably made a lot of enemies.”
“A lot of people who are furious with her are Joe’s allies, including some named Crowley,” said the insider, referring to Crowley’s cousin, Elizabeth Crowley, a former New York City councilwoman.
“She is a woman. She’s been moving more to the left. She would be someone interesting.”
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find (@AOC) a primary opponent and make her a ONE-TERM CONGRESSPERSON,” a veteran Democratic lawmaker told me.
Ocasio-Cortez riled political feathers within the New York Democratic delegation after a report by The Hill in December said she planned to find a primary opponent for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, another New York Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Jeffries publicly dismissed that as just talk.
“I don’t think that is something the New York delegation would contemplate. As you can see, we are totally united behind each other. … The New York delegation sticks together,” Jeffries said, according to the Monday report in The Hill.
Ocasio-Cortez said the report about a potential challenger was wrong, he said, “so there was nothing to work through. I haven’t seen a primary candidate emerge, so I assume when she denied it, she was correct that there was nothing to it.”
New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“Generally for me, I’m giving folks the benefit of the doubt, the presumption of innocence,” Meeks said, according to The Hill.
“You might say one thing before you get in here, and then after you get to meet folks, you see what happens and how the body works … things are different, so we’ll see what happens.
“I can only tell you that the times I’ve spoken to her, and at the times she’s been at the New York delegation meetings, she’s been cooperative and wants to be a team player. That’s what she said, so you gotta take her at her word until something changes,” he added.
Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for the ultra-progressive Justice Democrats, said anyone giving Ocasio-Cortez a primary should be prepared to lose.
Members of the Democratic Party establishment would rather take out one of their most popular members than fight just as hard as AOC does.https://t.co/IeAattJ86i
— Justice Democrats (@justicedems) January 29, 2019
“Considering she’s more popular and well known than some of the Democratic presidential contenders, I think whoever challenges her will lose by huge margins,” Shahid said. “It’s a quick way for some D.C. and Wall Street consultants to make some easy money.”
https://www.westernjournal.com/ocasio-cortez-...rn-journal
January 30, 2019
If the buzz around the Capitol is any indication, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York might pay for her flashy personification of progressive precepts with a primary challenge when the 2020 elections roll around.
Although a report report published by The Hill on Monday notes that colleagues will not speak for the record about a challenge, under the cloak of anonymity, things are different.
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” a Democratic member of Congress said, The Hill reported.
“You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 years for that seat. I’m sure they can find numerous people who want that seat in that district.”
Ocasio-Cortez rose to fame in June after defeating powerful Democrat Joseph Crowley in a Democratic primary.
A “political insider” said Ocasio Cortez was “pissing off a lot of people and has probably made a lot of enemies.”
“A lot of people who are furious with her are Joe’s allies, including some named Crowley,” said the insider, referring to Crowley’s cousin, Elizabeth Crowley, a former New York City councilwoman.
“She is a woman. She’s been moving more to the left. She would be someone interesting.”
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find (@AOC) a primary opponent and make her a ONE-TERM CONGRESSPERSON,” a veteran Democratic lawmaker told me.
Ocasio-Cortez riled political feathers within the New York Democratic delegation after a report by The Hill in December said she planned to find a primary opponent for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, another New York Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Jeffries publicly dismissed that as just talk.
“I don’t think that is something the New York delegation would contemplate. As you can see, we are totally united behind each other. … The New York delegation sticks together,” Jeffries said, according to the Monday report in The Hill.
Ocasio-Cortez said the report about a potential challenger was wrong, he said, “so there was nothing to work through. I haven’t seen a primary candidate emerge, so I assume when she denied it, she was correct that there was nothing to it.”
New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“Generally for me, I’m giving folks the benefit of the doubt, the presumption of innocence,” Meeks said, according to The Hill.
“You might say one thing before you get in here, and then after you get to meet folks, you see what happens and how the body works … things are different, so we’ll see what happens.
“I can only tell you that the times I’ve spoken to her, and at the times she’s been at the New York delegation meetings, she’s been cooperative and wants to be a team player. That’s what she said, so you gotta take her at her word until something changes,” he added.
Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for the ultra-progressive Justice Democrats, said anyone giving Ocasio-Cortez a primary should be prepared to lose.
Members of the Democratic Party establishment would rather take out one of their most popular members than fight just as hard as AOC does.https://t.co/IeAattJ86i
— Justice Democrats (@justicedems) January 29, 2019
“Considering she’s more popular and well known than some of the Democratic presidential contenders, I think whoever challenges her will lose by huge margins,” Shahid said. “It’s a quick way for some D.C. and Wall Street consultants to make some easy money.”
https://www.westernjournal.com/ocasio-cortez-...rn-journal
