HAPPY NEW YEAR! OCASIO-CORTEZ'S SEAT IN CONGRESS MAY VANISH
Joe Kovacs
January 1, 2020 a
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Official U.S. House portrait)
As the year 2020 rings in, one of the most controversial names in American politics may soon lose her seat in the House of Representatives. That well-known leftist figure is U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
With this being the year of the 2020 Census, it's possible the Democrat's district could be completely eliminated.
"New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @AOC's district," pollster Frank Luntz tweeted on New Year's Eve.
New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @AOC’s district.https://thecity.nyc/2019/08/aoc-makes-a-bronx-census-push-amid-fears-of-lost-house-seats.html …
AOC Makes a Bronx Census Push Amid Fears of Lost House Seats
Luntz attached his comment to a story from the local New York City magazine known as the City, which proffered the notion that Ocasio-Cortez is intensifying her efforts to persuade her constituents to fill out the Census to help keep her in office.
"Our strategy is all about building trust in the community before the enumerators even come to your door," Ocasio-Cortez toldthe magazine.
"There's been an increased use of one's immigration status as a form of intimidation."
A whopping 47 percent of the residents in AOC's district are foreign born, and many may fear filling out any official government count.
The City reported:
For Ocasio-Cortez, a full Census count is more than a matter of making sure her district gets all the funds and services it's due. In a sense, her own political fortunes could hang in the balance.
A review by THE CITY, building on data and analysis by The Texas Tribune, suggests Ocasio-Cortez's district could be particularly vulnerable to undercount because a little over a quarter of those living there are non-citizens.
That's a higher percentage than any other congressional district in the state.
A Census undercount in Ocasio-Cortez's district and elsewhere in the state could lead to the elimination of congressional districts -- potentially setting off politically charged redistricting battles.
Last February, the Intercept brought up the possibility of the district being eliminated.
"New York politics are famously insular," the Intercept reported, "with a tight circle controlling major decision-making for years. That began to shift in 2018, not just with Ocasio-Cortez's victory, but also wins from a number of insurgent candidates against Democrats who had caucused with Republicans in the state Senate."
The thinking is that traditional Democrats in the New York House will be looking to punish progressives such as Ocasio-Cortez by ousting them from office.
If AOC's seat does vanish, she could either challenge fellow Democrat Chuck Schumer for his U.S. Senate seat, or simply move to another House district and run for office from there.
The Daily Wire noted: "Her ties to the Bronx are questionable, anyway, and her name recognition is high -- even if her own constituents say she rarely shows up in her own district to listen to their concerns."
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