This past Wednesday, the Democratic Party leadership for New York State found themselves in the crosshairs of criticism from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in the wake of election results spotlighting that the state was beginning to shift and slide toward the Republican Party.
The congresswoman for New York seemed to be issuing a reaction to an image from The New York Times, which highlighted that new York has shifted to be more Republican in areas across the state since the 2020 presidential election.
NYS Dem party leadership, which was gutted under Cuomo, stuffed with lobbyists, works to boost GOP, and failed to pass a basic state ballot measure to protect NY redistricting, must be accountable.
I called for Jay Jacob’s resignation a year ago and I still hold that position. https://t.co/WM6BJUw4do
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 9, 2022
“NYS Dem party leadership, which was gutted under Cuomo, stuffed with lobbyists, works to boost GOP, and failed to pass a basic state ballot measure to protect NY redistricting, must be accountable,” expressed the congresswoman via social media. “I called for Jay Jacob’s resignation a year ago and I still hold that position.”
Jay Jacobs currently works in the role of Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee.
AOC also put out a social media post highlighting a link to an article talking about Jacobs from last year when he and a group of other lead Democrats in the state had not chosen to endorse the candidate running for the Buffalo mayoral election. Many other highly progressive Democrats stood with AOC as they put their support behind India Walton, a known Democratic Socialist.
Jacobs highlighted that it really would not matter who ended up with endorsements because a Democrat would secure the race no matter what as there had not been a Republican on the ballot. He continued on to state that a party does not need to endorse someone just because he or she has been successful in their primary. He put forth a hypothetical situation in which former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke won a New York Democratic primary.
“Let’s take a scenario, very different, where David Duke, you remember him, the grand wizard of the KKK, he moves to New York, he becomes a Democrat, he runs for mayor in the city of Rochester, which is a low primary turnout and he wins the Democratic line. I have to endorse David Duke? I don’t think so,” stated Jacobs. “Now, of course, India Walton is not in the same category, but it just leads you to that question, is it a must? It’s not a must. It’s something you choose to do. That’s why it’s an endorsement. Otherwise, they call it something else, like a requirement.”
Jacobs came udner fire for even bringing up such a comparison and many politicians rushed forward to sound the call that he needs to step down for even using such an example.
Jacobs would later issue an apology in a release, stating, “Using an extreme example of David Duke winning a primary, to make a logical point, even with stating twice the specific qualification that India Walton, was in a different category, was wrong. I should have used a different example, and for that, I apologize.”
AOC chose to speak out on social media concerning the David Duke Scandal, exclaiming, “After leading the party to a catastrophic ballot measure loss that would’ve saved Dem House seats, the party chair (Jacobs) compared a Black woman Dem nominee to the KKK. He was protected. Last night’s underperformance is a consequence of that decision.”
“Last night’s NY underperformance is a testament to years of prioritizing calcified machine politics and favoring over performance, strategy, & organizing. To win from here, Jacobs must go and we must recenter the party to better value community leadership and small-d democracy,” she went on.
Last night’s NY underperformance is a testament to years of prioritizing calcified machine politics and favoring over performance, strategy, & organizing.
To win from here, Jacobs must go and we must recenter the party to better value community leadership and small-d democracy.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 9, 2022
