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Queens Democratic machine threatened by AOC but refuses to change
If the Queens Democratic establishment was badly rattled by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning victory against incumbent and kingmaker Joe Crowley last year, then a largely ignored civil court race this summer shook the city’s most powerful political machine to its core. During primary elections in June, a Hispanic woman from the Bronx routed the candidate hand-picked by the Queens County Democratic Party for a seat on the county’s Civil Court — a race that had not been contested in nearly four decades.
“It was an incredible moment, and it was as important as AOC’s victory,” said a political strategist active in Queens and the Bronx. “Suddenly, people smelled blood.” Insurgent candidate and lawyer Lumarie Maldonado Cruz, 47, beat Wyatt Gibbons, 56, with nearly 62% of the vote compared to 38% for Gibbons, a Queens attorney. “AOC’s victory reminded me of my obligations to stand up for what is right,” Maldonado Cruz said when she entered the race earlier this year.
Still reeling from the victory of Ocasio-Cortez over Crowley, a 10-term Congressman and longtime Queens party boss who was also chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the party was again caught “asleep at the wheel” with no discernible strategy during the June primaries, said the strategist. He, like many of the political consultants and elected officials interviewed by The Post, did not want to be identified for fear of antagonizing the Queens party or AOC.
“They hate AOC,” said Baruch College political scientist Doug Muzzio, referring to the leaders of the Queens County Democrats. “She killed their meal ticket.”
But as they battle for relevancy against a progressive wave, the moderate Democrats in the Queens party are still mired in the past, observers say. The party is still controlled by Crowley’s old backers — “the three white men in the room” who have controlled Queens politics for more than three decades and reaped the benefits...In March, party delegates elected a scandal-scarred lawmaker as the new kingmaker. But observers told The Post that Rep. Gregory Meeks, an 11-term Congressman from southeast Queens, is a lightweight. “Meeks is essentially a backbencher in Congress, who lacks Crowley’s gravitas,” Muzzio told The Post. “He’s their puppet.”
...Although some members of the Queens County Dems once floated the idea of setting up their own opponent in a primary against Ocasio-Cortez, the idea was quickly abandoned, said a political observer who is close to the party. “That would be political suicide at this point,” Muzzio said. Now, the party’s leader has his own AOC-style challenger. Next year, (Gregory) Meeks will face insurgent Democratic candidate Shaniyat Chowdhury, 27. The former bartender and Marine who grew up in Queens, worked on Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign. “The party in Queens has harnessed power for themselves for a generation, and they have failed to recognize and nurture young people from different backgrounds,” Chowdhury told The Post.
Chowdhury said he was inspired by AOC’s win. “She proved that the grassroots could win, and that’s what we are doing: Appealing to the voters,” he said.
More at https://nypost.com/2019/10/05/queens-democratic-machine-threatened-by-aoc-but-refuses-to-change/
“It was an incredible moment, and it was as important as AOC’s victory,” said a political strategist active in Queens and the Bronx. “Suddenly, people smelled blood.” Insurgent candidate and lawyer Lumarie Maldonado Cruz, 47, beat Wyatt Gibbons, 56, with nearly 62% of the vote compared to 38% for Gibbons, a Queens attorney. “AOC’s victory reminded me of my obligations to stand up for what is right,” Maldonado Cruz said when she entered the race earlier this year.
Still reeling from the victory of Ocasio-Cortez over Crowley, a 10-term Congressman and longtime Queens party boss who was also chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the party was again caught “asleep at the wheel” with no discernible strategy during the June primaries, said the strategist. He, like many of the political consultants and elected officials interviewed by The Post, did not want to be identified for fear of antagonizing the Queens party or AOC.
“They hate AOC,” said Baruch College political scientist Doug Muzzio, referring to the leaders of the Queens County Democrats. “She killed their meal ticket.”
But as they battle for relevancy against a progressive wave, the moderate Democrats in the Queens party are still mired in the past, observers say. The party is still controlled by Crowley’s old backers — “the three white men in the room” who have controlled Queens politics for more than three decades and reaped the benefits...In March, party delegates elected a scandal-scarred lawmaker as the new kingmaker. But observers told The Post that Rep. Gregory Meeks, an 11-term Congressman from southeast Queens, is a lightweight. “Meeks is essentially a backbencher in Congress, who lacks Crowley’s gravitas,” Muzzio told The Post. “He’s their puppet.”
...Although some members of the Queens County Dems once floated the idea of setting up their own opponent in a primary against Ocasio-Cortez, the idea was quickly abandoned, said a political observer who is close to the party. “That would be political suicide at this point,” Muzzio said. Now, the party’s leader has his own AOC-style challenger. Next year, (Gregory) Meeks will face insurgent Democratic candidate Shaniyat Chowdhury, 27. The former bartender and Marine who grew up in Queens, worked on Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign. “The party in Queens has harnessed power for themselves for a generation, and they have failed to recognize and nurture young people from different backgrounds,” Chowdhury told The Post.
Chowdhury said he was inspired by AOC’s win. “She proved that the grassroots could win, and that’s what we are doing: Appealing to the voters,” he said.
More at https://nypost.com/2019/10/05/queens-democratic-machine-threatened-by-aoc-but-refuses-to-change/
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Built up a lot of clout. Seems the Queens “establishment” had installed one of
our best. 
I love AOC but the narrative outline in the op is a complete joke. An attempt to
divide the left.
