AOC's 2020 Campaign Donations from Her Own District are Virtually Non-Existent
Fewer than 0.5% of reelection campaign donations are from Ocasio-Cortez's constituents
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Most of the donations received by Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), for her 2020 reelection campaign, have come from donors outside of her congressional district, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show.
According to the records, only 10 people who live within Ocasio-Cortez’s district have made donations to her campaign in 2019 so far.
Donations from her own constituents only account for 0.46 percent of the total contributions her 2020 campaign has received.
Despite a poor show of support from the people who elected her to Congress, AOC's campaign has still pulled in a whopping $1,942,358.67 in total donations.
Ocasio Cortez angered many New York locals by pushing away the major Amazon deal that would have secured thousands of jobs in the city.
In addition, her popularity rating in her own Bronx, NY district has been dismal.
According to the Washington Examiner, a survey found AOC was “disliked, distrusted,” and “unwanted” — in her own congressional district.
The survey was conducted among registered voters by a political action committee investigating alleged Federal Election Commission violations by AOC.
The committee, Stop The AOC PAC, found that just 11 percent of Ocasio-Cortez’s constituents thought she had their best interests in mind, according to News Thud.
The survey results showed the cause was likely AOC’s opposition to Amazon placing a major operations hub near her New York district.
Per the Washington Examiner, the survey found the following:
- 42 percent are unfamiliar with AOC.
- 51 percent have an unfavorable view of AOC.
- 33 percent are ready to vote against AOC, and only 13 percent would vote for her.
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Ocasio-Cortez has outraised all other freshmen representatives so far in 2019, a DCNF analysis of FEC filings found.
The FEC only requires that political campaigns disclose the names and addresses of individuals who contribute over $200 to their campaigns during an election.
Campaigns report their big-dollar donors to the FEC in what’s called itemized contributions.
The $1,525.50 Ocasio-Cortez received from her New York constituents represents fewer than 0.5 percent of her campaign’s itemized contributions reported to the FEC in the first half of 2019.
The known monetary support Ocasio-Cortez’s reelection campaign has received from the people she represents is minuscule compared to the 88-member freshman class of the House of Representatives.
The average freshman representative’s reelection campaign received $107,141.29 in itemized contributions from their constituents in the first half of 2019, FEC filings the DCNF analyzed show.
Controversial New York Rep. Alexandria #OcasioCortez (D-NY) has a new Republican challenger for 2020: An #AOC-shredding immigrant from Jamaica.
— Neon Nettle (@NeonNettle) July 17, 2019
READ MORE: https://t.co/factvowQCS#ScherieMurray
Ocasio-Cortez’s reported in-district fundraising haul of $1,525.50 was just 1.4% of that average.
Only one freshman representative reported receiving less from their constituents than Ocasio-Cortez: Democratic Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas.
Garcia’s reelection campaign reported itemized contributions of $14,400, all of which came from individuals with addresses outside her district.
Ocasio-Cortez’s apparent lackluster fundraising performance from her constituents lends credibility to a poll conducted by a conservative PAC in May.
It found that only 20% of households in the representative’s district held a favorable opinion of her.
The data also reveal that two fellow members of Ocasio-Cortez’s so-called "AOC Squad" of freshman Democratic congresswomen — Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — also rank among the lowest-performing freshman representatives in terms of reported financial support from people who live within their districts.
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Tlaib reported receiving $470,430.11 in itemized contributions in the first half of 2019, but less than 2% came from individuals living within her district.
And while Omar reported $717,831.22 in itemized contributions to her reelection campaign so far in 2019, just over 4% came from her constituents.
A fourth squad member, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, far outperformed the others.
The Massachusetts Democrat received more than 30% of her $248,280.78 itemized contributions from her constituents.
Freshman Republicans dominated freshman Democrats in receiving a greater share of their reported contributions from the people they represent.
Of the 10 freshman representatives who received the lowest percent of their itemized contributions from their constituents, eight are Democrats.
On the other end, seven of the 10 top-performing freshman representatives in this category are Republicans.
Leading the freshman class in receiving the greatest share of itemized contributions from their constituents was Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson.
Over 94% of Johnson’s itemized contributions of $129,250 came from people living within his district.
An Economist and YouGov survey in July found that Americans have a very unfavorable view of the “Squad.”
Just 33% of Americans have a favorable view of Ocasio-Cortez, followed by Omar with a 25% combined favorability rating, Tlaib with 24%, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts with 22%.
