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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. | Photo courtesy of nrkbeta/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has reportedly shut down speculation that she will launch a primary challenge against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in 2024. In a statement to Politico on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson Lauren Hitt said, “She is not planning to primary Gillibrand.”
The announcement comes as a relief to many Democrats who wanted to avoid a divisive primary race in order to focus on winning back the four House seats that were lost to Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a fundraising powerhouse and a darling of the party’s left, leading to speculation that she could challenge Gillibrand, who has been in the Senate since 2009. However, with Ocasio-Cortez potentially stepping out of the way, Gillibrand could cruise to reelection in the state.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously been the center of speculation when she declined to say whether she would run a primary challenge against Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2022. While she ultimately passed on that opportunity, the possibility of her challenging Gillibrand remained until her spokesperson’s statement on Sunday.
Other potential challengers have also ruled out a run, including Democratic Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Ritchie Torres of New York. There are also no plans in the Working Families Party, a liberal group, to challenge Gillibrand, as 2024 will be a vital year for Democrats to retake Congress.
Meanwhile, Gillibrand’s spokesperson Evan Lukaske said she is “excited to run on her record of delivering for New York families.” Her accomplishments include making gun trafficking a federal crime, securing health benefits for 9/11 survivors, and bringing home funding for projects that will boost the economy.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary next year will be the heavy favorite in the general election, given New York’s blue hue. Gillibrand has built a national profile by focusing on issues such as paid leave, curbing firearms trafficking, and tackling sexual assault in the military. However, she has also been viewed suspiciously by progressives due to her past representing the more conservative upstate New York and ties to Wall Street.
While Ocasio-Cortez’s decision does not definitively close the door on a run in 2024, it further decreases the chances of a high-profile and prolonged primary battle. A Senate primary would also draw attention away from Democrats’ efforts to win back the House seats lost in 2022.
Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez continues to be a primary target of conservatives who criticize her progressive politics, making her a significant figure in the party. The potential avoidance of a Senate primary in 2024 would relieve Democrats after the significant losses suffered in the midterm elections. Jon Reinish, a New York Democratic strategist and former Gillibrand aide, told ABC News earlier this year that “Democrats in New York are laser — and I mean laser — focused on winning back those four House seats.”
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