With the number of candidates vying for socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional seat expanding, the radical congresswoman appears to be growing a wee bit worried.
So much so that during a kickoff event Saturday in Queens for her reelection bid, she reportedly urged roughly 100 or so people — it’s not clear whether they were mainly supporters or campaign workers — to push for a quadrupling in voter turnout this primary season.
“Last election cycle, in the primary as we know, the turnout was quite low … this year, we want to multiply turnout by four times. That’s our goal. We want to secure 60,000 votes in the primary election. We need to start creating a turnout machine right now,” she reportedly said.
She sounded desperate …
She’ll admittedly need all the turnout in the world to withstand the combined power of the slew of Democrat competitors she faces in the upcoming June 23 primary election, including Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, a high-powered, Reagan-loving former CNBC reporter who served as the network’s chief international correspondent for eight years.
Also included among the opponents she faces are:
- NYC Councilmember Fernando Cabrera (no relation to Caruso-Cabrera)
- Local Queens activist Badrun Khan
- “Centrist” Democrat Jose Velazquez
- Longtime civic activist James J. Dillon
While a lot of attention has been given to Caruso-Cabrera because of her record in the public spotlight, Ocasio-Cortez may, in reality, face an even bigger threat from Dillon.
“Well, I have been putting up posters, handing out brochures, picking up volunteers since before she was even sworn in as a Congresswoman,” he said in an interview last month with Medium, describing his long-time activism in the Queens area.
Dillon first ran for office in the 1998 Democrat presidential primary against then-New York State Assemblyman Joe Crowley.
“I know how to do this. I did very well against Joe Crowley in 1998 … and when the electorate here in the 14th [congressional district] sees us, they will see there is no comparison in terms of education, experience and intellectual capacity,” he added. “Good looks, like Ms. Ocasio has, can only go so far.”
Ouch.
But even if AOC manages to eke out a victory in the primary against the likes of Dillon and Caruso-Cabrera, a fellow Hispanic who’ll be immune to the congresswoman’s frequently played race card, she’ll then be forced to go up against one of the following Republican challengers:
- Jineea Butler
- Israel Ortega Cruz
- John Cummings
- Miguel Hernandez
- Scherie Murray
- Ruth Papazian
- Rey Solano
- Antoine Tucker
Among the most notable of the potential challengers is Scherie Murray, a Jamaican immigrant who’s vowed to fight for her constituents versus acting like a D-list celebrity.
“Queens and the Bronx need someone who will create jobs instead of turning them away. Someone to unite the fight in Washington and help you build a better future for yourself instead of pushing for a pay raise for herself. You deserve someone fighting for you, not fighting for the limelight,” she said in her campaign launch video last July.
Watch:
During her first-ever appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” a day after she announced her candidacy, Murray also took shots at the congresswoman for her divisive behavior/rhetoric and her habit of burning down bridges.
“My campaign is about uniting the fight, and that’s why I’m in the race for Congress. I’d like to build bridges instead of burning them down like our congressional representative that represents the district in Queens and the Bronx,” she said when asked to state her case.
“What sort of bridges have they burned down?” host Bill Hemmer asked.
“Listen to the rhetoric on the national level. It’s disgusting, and it needs to be dialed back. I think the conversation needs to now be focused on policy,” she replied.
She was right. Thus far that month, AOC had suggested that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a racist, accused the president of holding illegal alien children hostage “to secure billions for their abusers”, accused U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials of forcing an illegal alien woman to drink water from a toilet and refused to condemn an act of left-wing terrorism that’d been inspired by her own words.
Murray’s willingness to relentlessly call out the congresswoman’s “bullschiff” is slowly making her popular on Twitter, where she can be seen constantly exposing AOC for all her lies, hyperbole and radicalism:
“Give it a shot…slow down a bit.” Is she serious? It took just 12 days for someone to get killed because of this weak & dangerous #bailreform law.
Career criminals are let loose again & again due to the ban on “cash bail”, the cuffs on cops & judges.https://t.co/WZulrhQuvC
— Scherie Murray (@ScherieMurray) February 16, 2020
The pot calling the kettle black. You just mixed up 2 economists.
This has nothing to do with @NRA & everything to do with bad public policy enacted by @NYGovCuomo #NYSafeAct #BailReform.
Your #NewWayForwardAct is also policy that do not support law enforcement + opens borders. https://t.co/OGoDGS3PpW
— Scherie Murray (@ScherieMurray) February 9, 2020
I’m running ??♀️ to replace this Congressional Representative. Listen to her recent comments. Wow!
Milton Friedman & John Maynard Keynes were economists. Who is Milton Keynes?
Wikipedia says it is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England, North-West of London.#VoteHerOut! #NY14 https://t.co/WQFUuujVSC
— Scherie Murray (@ScherieMurray) February 9, 2020
AOC & Bernie want to obstruct ICE agents from doing their job; they want to break up ICE and CBP @CSinclairtv reports on @OANN.
“We have to get socialists like her and her policies out of office immediately.” —@ScherieMurray
Watch full interview: ➡️https://t.co/NaT8QTXdt8
— Scherie Murray (@ScherieMurray) February 7, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez has for her part tried to appear unconcerned about the mounting opposition she faces.
“I think everyone has a right [to run],” she said to the New York Post. “I of course won my seat with a primary. I would never begrudge anyone trying to run in a primary. I’m committed to organizing.”
But these days, it seems she’s more committed to playing the role of a wannabe celebrity. Last week, for instance, VH1 announced that AOC was one of several guest hosts who participated in the upcoming season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”:
?️??? @AOC joins the Ruvolution! ???️?#DragRace premieres 2/28 at 8/7c on @VH1! pic.twitter.com/lH8TDTtWSy
— RuPaul’s Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) February 13, 2020
It’s not clear how appearing on a reality TV show helps her constituents …
Note: The original headline stated that 12 democrats were running against Ocasio-Cortez. Only 5 democrat rivals have been confirmed.
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