A small business advocacy group known as the Job Creators Network is supporting Marty Dolan, a Democratic candidate running against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the upcoming primary election. This marks the first time the conservative group has endorsed a Democrat, as they believe Ocasio-Cortez poses a threat to American small businesses. The group has spent $100,000 on promotional media, including billboards in Times Square, attacking the progressive congresswoman for various issues such as rising crime, illegal immigration chaos, sky-high grocery prices, and defunding the police. The billboards urge AOC to step down and vote for Dolan, suggesting she pushed out Amazon jobs and may soon need one herself.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has been serving as the representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District, will face Dolan in the primary election on June 25. The winner of the primary is expected to easily win the November general election in the deep-blue district. The CEO of the Job Creators Network, Alfredo Ortiz, believes that Ocasio-Cortez’s policies have contributed to various crises affecting her constituents in New York and across the country. He sees Dolan as a voice of moderation that can support small businesses and working families in New York City and beyond. The billboards attacking Ocasio-Cortez were paid for through a super PAC connected to the Job Creators Network, known as the Keep America America Action Fund.
Marty Dolan, a 66-year-old former Wall Street investor, initially planned to challenge Rep. Jamaal Bowman but shifted his focus to running against Ocasio-Cortez due to her radical policies. Dolan believes that there are radicals within the Progressive movement whose influence on the Democratic Party is excessive, leading to issues such as bail reform disasters, increased crime rates, and scarce resources directed towards immigrants. Ortiz views Dolan’s support of a commonsense tax system as beneficial for extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which is set to expire next year. Dolan has highlighted the federal debt and NYC’s high marginal tax rate as important issues that need to be addressed.
Ocasio-Cortez gained attention for opposing Amazon’s plan to receive $3 billion in tax incentives for a second headquarters in Queens, leading the company to back out. Despite her stance on the issue, the progressive congresswoman is currently significantly outraising Dolan in campaign contributions. Ocasio-Cortez has $5 million cash on hand in her principal campaign committee, while Dolan’s campaign has recorded just over $6,700 after loaning $255,500 of his own money. Last month, the congresswoman declined a debate request from her challenger, who has criticized her for dodging debates and not addressing voters directly on certain issues. The Ocasio-Cortez campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the Job Creators Network’s support of Dolan and the promotional media against her.
