New York state held its primary elections on Tuesday. Democrat Rep. Jerrold Nadler made headlines that night for ousting fellow Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney, but that night also saw another bombshell election: the search for a Republican to run against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
To run against Ocasio-Cortez, the Republicans of the 14th district chose small business owner Tina “Bronx Tina” Forte.
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Forte hails from the Throggs Neck neighborhood in the Bronx, according to her website. She has focused on bringing jobs to a district with relatively high unemployment.
“AOC has spent her time raising taxes, bad-mouthing business owners, and pushing away large employers like Amazon – denying thousands of jobs to New Yorkers and harming our economy,” Forte wrote.
“Tina and her husband started with a soda delivery route and went on to build their own beverage distribution company. Now, they’re not only creating jobs but empowering others to create their own businesses.”
In a statement, Forte described herself as “a Republican who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”
For example, she supports Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s bill for “better oversight to remove bad cops and reward good cops,” and she believes in prioritizing skilled workers for legal immigration while also constructing a barrier at the southern border.
Forte looks very unlikely to win — not only due to the district’s Democratic lean, but also due to her own baggage. In a live-streamed video, she breached the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, although there’s no evidence that she entered the building.
“I absolutely did NOT enter the Capitol building. In fact, myself and my group were there well before 12:30pm and we were basically the only ones in front of the Reflection Pool with our flag,” Forte said in a statement to Snopes.
“I have said it again and again, what happened at the Capitol is disgusting. I do not condone violence or destruction on either side. I am not nor will I ever be a part of that. As far as Stop The Steal, do I believe there was voter fraud? Absolutely. That’s my opinion. There is fraud in every election.”
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Forte has reserved her harshest criticism for the elites of her city. In an advertisement, she hit on mask hypocrisy among New York City politicians, like Mayor Eric Adams and U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
“We have all witnessed the liberal elites and their hypocrisy,” Forte said in a video.
Of course, when talking about hypocrisy, she showed footage of Ocasio-Cortez’s “TAX THE RICH” dress from the Met Gala.
In the primary election, Forte prevailed over military veteran Desi Cuellar, despite Cuellar’s endorsement from the Republican Party of Queens County.
Take a look at her campaign materials —
The Bronx & Queens!
Remember to vote today in the Republican Primary election for Congress!
Polls are open until 9PM. Locate your local polling site here: https://t.co/VMTlnV1uPC pic.twitter.com/cGJ3O29YB0
— Tina Forte for Congress (@TinaForteUSA) August 23, 2022
The #OustAOC flag is back! This time on an overpass in Queens! #OustAOC #StopSocialism pic.twitter.com/FBBhuGCtC8
— Tina Forte for Congress (@TinaForteUSA) August 24, 2022
Good luck to my friend @TinaForteUSA in the New York Republican Primary today!
I look forward to working with her to defeat the Socialist squad! #SaveAmerica pic.twitter.com/NaHVO4zaym
— Steven Elliott for Congress (@StevenElliottMI) August 23, 2022
The Horn editorial team