[ [link removed] ]Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress




In light of the news that Democrats no longer control the House of
Representatives, we thought we’d share some of Alexandria’s recent
insights into what we can learn from the midterm outcomes. 

Alexandria shared her thoughts with The Intercept, which we summarize
below (read the full article [ [link removed] ]here). 

1. We must avoid rehashing Republican narratives.

The choice among certain Democrats to validate and amplify Republican
narratives on crime and policing actually ended up hurting them. The races
where candidates were able to effectively center their narratives –
whether that was abortion rights, saving democracy, or other key
priorities – were better off. 

For example, Democrats in New York ran ads around crime that only served
to reinforce and amplify the Republican narratives on crime and policing.
If we’re going to talk about public safety, we must talk about it in the
frame of what we’ve done on gun violence – including passing the first gun
reform bill in 30 years. Our alternatives are actually electorally
effective without having to lean on Republican narratives.

2. “If Democrats do not hang onto the House, I think that responsibility
falls squarely on New York state.”

Cuomo may be gone, but much of his infrastructure and political machinery
is still running in New York state. 

This machinery relies on lobbyists and big money and undercuts grassroots
and state-level organizing. This leaves a void for Republicans to walk
into. Last year, Republicans put millions of dollars into defeating the
redistricting ballot measure that would have protected the NY
congressional map, which would have put Democrats ahead. But New York
State Democratic Party Committee Chair Jay Jacobs didn’t drop $1 to make
sure that we got the redistricting ballot measure passed. 

It’s very clear that the New York State Democratic Party has created an
environment where the only “legitimate Democratic candidates” worthy of
support are those who fight both progressives and Republicans, which is
clearly not a winning strategy, especially not in the state of New York.

3. We need to be looking at donor bases.

We shouldn’t be shifting in a direction where our party leadership becomes
even more dependent on large donors and corporate backers, especially in a
time when more Democrats are being elected independent of that, and when
the infrastructure for small-dollar fundraising has only grown and become
more vibrant. ([ [link removed] ]You’re part of that and we appreciate all of your
contributions.)

4. Youth won the election. 

The role of young people in this election cannot be understated. According
to the Edison Research National Election Pool exit poll, the national
youth vote choice for the U.S. House of Representatives was 63% for
Democrats, 35% for Republicans. 

By 2024, Millennials and Gen Z voters will outnumber voters who are Baby
Boomers and older, 45%-25%. We are beginning to see the political impacts
of that generational shift. 

Being outwardly antagonistic towards a very enthused young progressive
base is not a winning strategy. 

So, what’s next?

In response to the election, Alexandria joined more than 600 New York
state elected officials, organizations, and community leaders in formally
calling for a change in New York Democratic leadership.^1

If we’re going to thrive after this election, we need to clean things up
from the very top and activate communities across the state. We know New
York can and will do better, together.

Nationally, we have a lot to reckon with as well — from Latino voters
increasingly trending toward Republicans to how we plan to combat rampant
disinformation. Stay tuned for future emails on these topics. 

Thanks for listening. 

In solidarity, 

Team AOC

Alexandria relies exclusively on grassroots donations to fund her campaign
and we're proud to be the #1 small-dollar funded campaign in Congress.

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1 - [ [link removed] ]New York Times


 

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