Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is calling for accountability among her colleagues after Republicans gained substantial ground in the Empire State on Election Day.
What did AOC have to say?
In response to the election results, Ocasio-Cortez asked that Jay Jacobs, the head of the New York State Democratic Party, resign.
“New York State Democratic Party leadership, which was devastated under former Governor Andrew Cuomo, loaded with lobbyists, works to promote GOP and was unable to pass a simple state ballot initiative to preserve NY redistricting,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“I demanded Jay Jacob’s departure a year ago, and I continue to maintain that position,” she said.
To say Democrats performed poorly in New York is an understatement.
According to election data, Republicans outperformed Democrats in each and every single county in New York compared to 2020. In fact, Republican Lee Zeldin, who ran against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, successfully switched eight NY counties from blue to red.
Ocasio-Cortez feels her party’s leaders should indeed be held accountable for their dismal performance.
“Last night’s underperformance in New York is a testament to years of emphasizing fossilized machine politics and ideology over performance, strategies, and organization,” she explained. “To prevail from here, Jacobs must leave, and the party must be re-energized to embrace community leadership and small-d democracy.”
What is the context?
This isn’t the first time Ocasio-Cortez has demanded Jacobs resign.
Jacobs was accused last year of equating India Walton, a black woman running for mayor of Buffalo, to former Ku Klux Klan head David Duke. Ocasio-Cortez demanded Jacobs’ resignation as part of the backlash against him.
“Jay Jacobs should absolutely resign over his horrible statements comparing a Black single mum who won an important election to David Duke,” stated Ocasio-Cortez at the time.
“As a nationally elected member in the New York Democratic Party, I have zero faith in Jay Jacobs’ capacity to lead an inclusive and courteous New York Democratic Party,” she continued. “This is only the most recent incident. Jacobs is a poisonous presence in the party, and his ongoing position as Chair is a disgrace.”
