First-time Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez raises record $1.4 million in just 3 months for re-election campaign
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has raised massive re-election funds worth $1.42 million in the third quarter of the current year and it is the most done by any House Democrat, records have revealed. The first-time representative has even raised more than party veterans like Adam Schiff who has raised $1.26 million and Nancy Pelosi — $1.14 million, New York Post reported.
Though the 30-year-old Ocasio-Cortez or “AOC” has raised a whopping amount between July and September, over a million were donated in amounts less than $200.
Political observers were surprised by AOC’s feat, especially as a rookie Congresswoman. She won the midterm elections last November and took over the office in January this year. AOC is set to face a strong Republican challenge in her re-election bid next November. Her GOP opponents are also raising good money for their own campaign to beat the self-described socialist but were yet to go ahead in the race, according to another Post report that came out last month.
AOC is also set to face a challenge from fellow Democrat Fernando Cabrera, a councilman from Bronx, who claims to be a pro-capitalist.
'Very rare, unique', says expert
Speaking about Ocasio-Cortez’s massive fund-raising, political consultant George Arzt told the Post that it is “very rare, unique”. He said he could not recall any candidate succeeding in raising that much money in less than a year into office.
“AOC is a celebrity who gained attention from people across the country, and many on the left support her,” he said. Arzt was seconded by the Center for Responsive Politics’ Brendan Quinn, who even called the Congresswoman becoming “iconic”.
If considered since January, then AOC has raised the sixth-most donations among all House members, trailing Steve Scalise, Devin Nunes, Kevin McCarthy, Schiff and Pelosi.
AOC's feat could bother veterans
AOC’s success could bother the likes of Pelosi who have attached less significance to newcomers like the ‘Squad’. In an interview with the New York Times, Pelosi tried to downplay the ‘Squad’ after Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow ‘Squad’ members voted against an emergency border funding bill. She mocked the group saying: “All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world.”
Ocasio-Cortez had hit back at the House Speaker, saying on Twitter: “That public "whatever" is called public sentiment. And wielding the power to shift it is how we actually achieve meaningful change in this country.”