The Democrat’s New York sweetheart isn’t their sweetheart anymore as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has apparently stepped on one too many toes and fought with one too many of her own.
According to The Hill, Ocasio-Cortez courting far-left progressive groups to recruit candidates like her to run against incumbent Democrats has made Democrats none too pleased with the young democratic socialist, and now they’re seeking candidates of their own to oust her after just one term:
At least one House Democrat has been privately urging members of the New York delegation to recruit a local politician from the Bronx or Queens to challenge Ocasio-Cortez.
“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 Democratic lawmaker, who requested anonymity, told The Hill. “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.”
She’s apparently also run afoul of the Black Caucus after a recent Politico report that she and the “Justice Democrats” were considering backing a primary challenge to New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, a Black Caucus member. Ocasio-Cortez and the Justice Democrats deny this report.
The same annoyances have been expressed from the Hispanic Caucus after Ocasio-Cortez and the Justice Democrats actually did confirm that they’re going on the attack against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). The Caucus, which Ocasio-Cortez joined, said they’re going to wait and see what she does before intervening, but made it very clear that they’ll protect their own.
“We’re going to protect our members and we’re going to protect our own. Full stop,” said the caucuses former whip Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). “There are plenty of [swing] races and seats that we can play in, and we want to devote our resources to that.”
As far as New York’s political scene goes, some are still angry over Ocasio-Cortez pushing out Joseph Crowley, and are potentially looking at Crowley’s female cousin as a way to reclaim the seat from Ocasio-Cortez:
No potential challengers to Ocasio-Cortez have yet emerged. But one New York political insider noted that the Queens and Bronx district is home to many ambitious pols who are close to Crowley and don’t like that a political outsider took his seat.
“She’s 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.”
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