Top New York Democrats are panicking over the possibility of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez running for Senate, which could draw the party into a bloody civil war and potentially hand the seat to Republicans.
Ocasio-Cortez has been an outspoken critic of New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the chamber’s Minority Leader, accusing him of being insufficiently liberal.
With New York state set to lose a U.S. House seat in 2022 due to slow population growth, and New York Democrats possibly looking to use the opportunity to draw Ocasio-Cortez into a district she can’t win, speculation is growing she will wage an all-or-nothing bid to defeat Schumer and either win the seat or cost him re-election.
Ocasio-Cortez has publicly said she has not ruled out a Senate run and may be looking to leave the House.
She has also specifically targeted Schumer, saying it’s time for Democrats to elect “new leaders.”
That has top Democrats panicking.
“I think it would be a primary driven by ambition more than by need,” New York State Democrat Party chairman Jay Jacobs tells The New York Post, urging Ocasio-Cortez to reconsider any Senate bid.
“Chuck Schumer has been a progressive force in the state for decades. She has a constituency that admires her and supports her, and they’re in her community, and I think it would be a loss for them if she were to do that,” Jacobs tells the Post.
Jacobs predicts if she were to run against Schumer, she would likely lose. She narrowly won her seat in 2018 against an incumbent Democrat, but only because he put in little effort, refused to campaign, and assumed he would win – mistakes Schumer does not make.
It’s also not out of the question if she were to win the primary or cause a large number of Democrats to split from Schumer, she or Schumer would lose to a Republican. New York election laws that allow Republicans and Democrats to also be nominated by third parties also make it easier for third parties to run strong campaigns.
In 1970 James L. Buckley, brother of conservative icon William F. Buckley, defeated both a Republican and a Democrat to serve a term as a U.S. Senator from New York as the nominee of the Conservative Party.
Since then, left-leaning Republicans have won U.S. Senate seats and governor’s races in New York and the state’s most liberal stronghold, New York City, has elected left-leaning Republicans as two of the last three mayors.
That has Democrats scrambling to find a way to remove Ocasio-Cortez from the House without sending her into a Senate bid that will almost certainly be bloody and damaging for establishment Democrats.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com.
Michael Brigham
Michael Brigham has written for American Action News since the summer of 2019. His areas of expertise include foreign affairs, government, and politics, but regardless of the subject matter, he has a nose and an insatiable appetite for news. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, watching a mix of comedies and true crime documentaries, and spending time away from the swamp hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
She’s garbage, like all demonrats
This would be epic! Penguin vs. Barmaid.
Why not beats Schumer & so fickle nothing gets done, makes sense
Anything to divide, diffuse, distract Dems is Good stuff
I say she should go for it and we just sit back and watch them eat each other up!
Nothing reminds me more of the life in Panama than the insanity of AOC. If you truly want to sign on to a life in the lower class being stepped on by the likes of AOC, you should take a trip there to experience it before buying into it. You won’t like it quite as much as you think.
Good point, why don’t these low life wanna-be socialists go live in Venezuela or Cuba ? Too cowardly.
Maybe they will eat each other alive. It might be an event to sell tickets to.
I’d buy one!
Please run for a Senate seat AOC.
I admire her chutzpah because it’s getting her where she wants to go. Too bad she’s such a dangerous ignorant narcissist who knows nothing abut our Constitution.
Hey aoc, do you see your party’s hypocrisy now, they talk new blood BS but still run the party with their old career politicians. Just look around!
An imbecile running against another imbecile, only in NY.
Send AOC back to the bar!
Dumb Vs. Dumber who cares?
I would love for the IRS to do an audit of her income tax returns before she entered politics! Most all the Bartenders I know fudge the amount of tips they declare on their reported income. Would be great to see her charged with tax evasion!
2 useless people being voted in by idiots
It’s a scam , she is playing a very bad game for a seat! Can’t hide her past now! It’s out there with her motives!
Steel cage death match
This would be better than the WWF cage match!! break out the popcorn!
Go AOC…Go Chucky. We’re on your side.
If AOC were to run against Chuck the Schmuck she would instantly, overnight be labeled a hater, an anti-Semite and literally Hitler.