New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may face a primary challenge come the 2020 elections, according to The Hill.
A report published by the outlet on Monday states that “colleagues will not speak for the record about a challenge, under the cloak of anonymity, things are different,” according to the Western Journal.
“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” The Hill reports a Democratic Congress member stated. “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.”
After she defeated Democrat Joseph Crowley in a Democratic primary, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became a household name.
The Western Journal writes:
A source The Hill described as 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.”
Scott Wong tweeted, “‘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. ‘You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 yrs for that seat.'”
“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.
"You've got numerous councilpeople and state legislators who've been waiting 20 yrs for that seat.” https://t.co/ui1RN9bR9m
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) January 29, 2019
A December report by the Hill stated that the young, New York Democrat was already making waves in the Democratic delegation when she announced that she would be finding a primary opponent for Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman.
Jeffries dismissed it.
“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 stated, according to the Hill’s Monday report.
Western Journal reports:
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.
A spokesman for the progressive Justice Democrats, Waleed Shahid, stated that anyone who is giving Ocasio-Cortez a primary should be ready 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 stated. “It’s a quick way for some D.C. and Wall Street consultants to make some easy money.”