"While many try to
belittle a progressive agenda that centers working people and the public good,
in truth it's more powerful than ever."
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
raised more money for reelection than any other House Democrat in the third
quarter of 2019, an achievement the New York Democrat touted as a
testament to the power of grassroots fundraising over schmoozing with corporate
lobbyists and wealthy executives.
The New York Post reported late
Tuesday that Ocasio-Cortez raised $1.42 million between July 1 through
September 30 for her 2020 reelection campaign, topping all House Democrats
including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whose fundraising
prowess is well known.
"While many try to
belittle a progressive agenda that centers working people and the public good,
in truth it's more powerful than ever," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, the lead
sponsor of the Green New Deal resolution in the House. "I haven't picked
up a phone once this year to dial for dollars, and I don't meet with corporate
lobbyists. That is the power of your grassroots support."
According to the Post,
$1.1 million of the $1.42 million Ocasio-Cortez raised in the third quarter
came from donations under $200. Running a campaign fueled by grassroots support
instead of corporate buckraking, said Ocasio-Cortez, opens up "much more
time for me to be fully present at my job."
"I intentionally built my
campaign to rely on small-dollar grassroots support without any corporate
money, because I felt that's the best way to be accountable to everyday
people," said the
New York Democrat. "It has impacted how I work in Congress in powerful
ways—ways I couldn't fully appreciate until I got here."
"Our political system's
reliance on huge sums of money has many negative impacts, but one of the
largest is that it takes lawmakers' time away from lawmaking,"
Ocasio-Cortez added. "That's a feature, not a flaw—the less time lawmakers
have, the more special interests can slip in harmful provisions."
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