AOC lashes out at her party after Republicans shock with election performance in New York

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is demanding accountability among her own after Republicans made significant gains across the Empire State on Election Day.

What did AOC say?

Reacting to Election Day results, Ocasio-Cortez demanded that Jay Jacobs, the New York State Democratic Party president, resign from his position.

"NYS Dem party leadership, which was gutted under [former Gov. Andrew] Cuomo, stuffed with lobbyists, works to boost GOP, and failed to pass a basic state ballot measure to protect NY redistricting, must be accountable," Ocasio-Cortez said.

"I called for Jay Jacob’s resignation a year ago and I still hold that position," she added.

To say that Democrats underperformed in New York is an understatement.

Election data shows that Republicans performed better in every single county in New York compared to their 2020 results. In fact, Republican Lee Zeldin, who challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), completely flipped eight New York counties from blue to red.

Because of the poor performance, Ocasio-Cortez believes her party's leaders must be held accountable.

"Last night’s NY underperformance is a testament to years of prioritizing calcified machine politics and favoring over performance, strategy, & organizing," she said. "To win from here, Jacobs must go and we must recenter the party to better value community leadership and small-d democracy."

What is the background?

This is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has called for Jacobs to step down.

Last year, Jacobs was accused of comparing India Walton — a black woman who ran for mayor of Buffalo — to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. The backlash against Jacobs included Ocasio-Cortez demanding his resignation.

"Jay Jacobs absolutely should resign over his disgusting comments comparing a Black single mother who won a historic election to David Duke," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time.

"As a federally elected official in the NY Dem party, I have 0 confidence in Jay Jacobs’ ability to lead an NY Dem party that is inclusive & respectful of all," she added. "This is just his latest incident. Jacobs is a toxic presence in the party and his continued post as Chair is shameful."