CNBC Anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera To Run Against AOC In Primary

QUEENS, NY — Longtime CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera is lodging a primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her seat representing parts of The Bronx and Queens in Congress.

Caruso-Cabrera has spent more than two decades working as a lead reporter and anchor at CNBC, including as the network's chief international correspondent, according to her campaign website.

She began her journalism career at Univision News, where she won an Emmy for her series about children orphaned by the AIDS crisis, then spent four years working for WTSP-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Petersburg, Fla.

A fluent Spanish speaker, Caruso-Cabrera has been named to Hispanic Business Magazine's list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" and won the title Broadcaster of the Year from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Caruso-Cabrera will no longer serve as a CNBC contributor, she told one of the network, which broke news of the campaign Tuesday. Her campaign didn't immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

Caruso-Cabrera joins a field of a dozen Democrats and Republicans who have filed plans to run for Ocasio-Cortez's Congressional seat this year.

Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Her competition in the Democratic primary includes Fernando Cabrera — who represents The Bronx in the New York City Council but doesn't actually live in Ocasio-Cortez's district, according to City & State — and first-generation Bronxite Jose Velazquez.

Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated Queens Democratic Party chair Joe Crowley in 2018 for her seat representing New York's 14th Congressional district, will be a formidable opponent: She headed into this year with nearly 10 times the amount of campaign funds as her best-financed opponent in the race.

Ocasio-Cortez had nearly $3 million in cash on hand as of Dec. 31, 2019, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Retired NYPD officer and teacher John Cummings, a Republican who has out-raised all the other candidates for Ocasio-Cortez's seat, had about $318,000 to spend as of that last filing.

Ocasio-Cortez's Republican opponents also include Queens entrepreneur Scherie Murray, community organizer Jineea Butler, journalist Ruth Papazian, Upper East Side construction contractor Miguel Hernandez, Israel Ortega Cruz, self-described "former gangster" Antoine Tucker and Bronx businessman Rey Solano.

New Yorkers will head to the polls June 23 to vote in the Democratic and Republican primary elections for Congress, then again on Nov. 3 for the general election.

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