Primary fight sees chamber take on AOC

WASHINGTON — It’s Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s turn to defend her record and battle accusations that she’s lost touch with her district.

The out-of-nowhere winner of 2018’s most spectacular election upset, the New York Democrat faces a June 23 primary in which her chief rival, a former Republican, has adopted the mantra “AOC is MIA.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has launched a digital ad asking why Ocasio-Cortez isn’t supporting “good-paying jobs in the tech industry.”

As Congress’ youngest woman and one of its most recognizable faces, the 30-year-old former activist and bartender remains a heavy favorite. Yet with her hard-left views, her celebrity status and job losses that have staggered her New York City district during the coronavirus pandemic, her opponents say they sense weak spots.

“There’s a real contrast here between AOC’s record, what she’s done for the district, and this perception of her being this Hollywood glam girl,” said Scott Reed, the chamber’s senior political strategist.

The congresswoman’s campaign declined to make her available for an interview. Her pollster, Celinda Lake, said Ocasio-Cortez stands little chance of losing.

“They’re out of touch with the district,” Lake said of the chamber.

Ocasio-Cortez began airing a TV spot this week that underlines the importance of turnout in what is likely to be a low-turnout primary. “Listen, if we want change, we’ve also got to vote for it,” she said.

The chamber and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Ocasio-Cortez’s top challenger, are focusing on two items. One is Ocasio-Cortez’s March vote against a $2 trillion economic relief package, the other her opposition to Amazon’s plan to build a headquarters in a Queens neighborhood in the district, which the company abandoned in 2019.