Ocasio-Cortez campaign fails to secure spot on progressive Working Families Party ballot line

Freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s reelection campaign has failed to acquire the required number of signatures to appear on the Working Families Party ballot line in the November general election.

Ocasio-Cortez, who representing the 14th District of New York, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, would have appeared on the ballot uncontested.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently reduced the required number of signatures required to make the ballot , due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ocasio-Cortez needed 14.58 signatures, which the Board of Elections rounded up to 15. Her campaign reportedly submitted 14, one of which was disqualified because the signee was not a registered member of the Working Families Party.

The failure to ensure a spot on the WFP ballot line will not likely impact the progressive’s re-election bid. She maintains Democratic favorability in both primary and the general election polls.

According to a spokeswoman for the House member, the campaign opted to stop collecting signatures because of the pandemic, citing that they did not want to risk anyone’s health for a cause that would not ultimately determine the fate of the election.

Martin Connor, a lawyer for Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, a former CNBC anchorwoman competing against Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic primary, said that regardless of the pandemic, candidates typically collect far more signatures than they technically require to earn a ballot spot. “The so-called progressive Working Families Party can’t deliver for AOC,” said Connor.

“The lesson is get your butt out there the first week and get the signatures,” he added.

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez fired back, “Congrats to them for finding technicalities, but it’s not going to change the outcome of the election.”