AOC Campaign Trail Tensions
Democratic Candidates in Competitive Races Ask Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Avoid Campaign Trails
Anonymous
Reports say some Democratic candidates in competitive races have asked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to stay off their campaign trails, fearing her progressive profile could give Republicans an advantage with swing voters. Montana candidate Sam Forstag, who previously campaigned with her, said he did not plan to host many out-of-state surrogates and reportedly removed her endorsement from his website. A Democratic strategist called Ocasio-Cortez a “lightning rod” and said her polling was poor, while Republicans have sought to link some candidates to her in campaign ads. The concerns contrast with her work helping progressive candidates win primaries and a Michigan campaign spokesperson’s statement that voters would welcome her back. The reports also place the tensions alongside speculation about her possible 2028 presidential ambitions and the need to broaden her appeal beyond her base.
Key Points
1
Before Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed won his primary, Ocasio-Cortez appeared in nearly $1 million worth of ads promoting him; AdImpact analysis found she had appeared in none since.
2
New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and the Congressional Leadership Fund ran ads associating Democratic candidate Cait Conley with Ocasio-Cortez, even though Conley had told CNN she would not campaign with her.
3
Ocasio-Cortez has recently sought to distance herself from some past positions: she called the period of support for abolishing prisons and defunding the police “Woke 1,” and told ABC’s Jonathan Karl that pandemic lockdowns had made people more willing to entertain extreme ideas.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
17
Articles
17
Reach
34
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
