Ocasio-Cortez: I don’t think the blacklisting of progressive organizations is fair
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks on fundraising and feelings towards the Democratic Party.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shattered her previous fundraising record and brought in $2.7 million so far this year in her reelection bid, records out Wednesday show.
The New York Democrat raised more than $2.7 million in January, February and March, up from the nearly $2 million she raised in the previous quarter, according to new Federal Election Commission records.
The numbers show the youngest female elected to Congress has become a fundraising juggernaut during her first term in office. And much like her Democratic socialist ally Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez is largely raising the money from grassroots small-dollar donations.
OCASIO-CORTEZ SAYS SHE'S A 'PROUD' DEMOCRAT, EVEN THOUGH SHE WON'T PAY PARTY 'DUES'
In all, she's raised nearly $8.2 million for her reelection bid to the seat in the Bronx and Queens -- a figure that makes her among the top fundraisers in all of Congress.
About $2.1 million of her donations this quarter-- or about 77 percent -- have come from individuals giving less than $200.
Ocasio-Cortez ends the quarter with $3.5 million in the bank as she readies for a crowded primary election in June for New York's 14th congressional district, where she'll face Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, the former CNBC correspondent, and other Democrats. Caruso-Cabrera raised about $1 million during the first quarter, with 90 percent coming from large-dollar donors.
AOC RILES DEMS BY REFUSING TO PAY PARTY DUES, BANKROLLING COLLEAGUES' OPPONENTS
AOC has riled Democrats because she's refused to donate any of her huge fundraising haul to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee out of protest for the organization that she thinks prevents upstart progressives from challenging incumbents.
AOC’S COMPETITION: MEET THE CANDIDATES RUNNING AGAINST OCASIO-CORTEZ
“I don't see the sense in giving a quarter-million dollars to an organization that has clearly told people like me that we're not welcome," Ocasio-Cortez said in defending her decision to Fox News in January not to pay party "dues."
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