UES Republican To Challenge Ocasio-Cortez In 2020, Report Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Republicans don't often win elections in New York City, but that isn't stopping one GOP hopeful who lives on the Upper East Side from challenging Democratic rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to reports.

An Upper East Sider named Miguel Hernandez recently filed with the Federal Election Commission to challenge the congresswoman known commonly as "AOC" in New York's 14th Congressional District in 2020, the Queens Daily Eagle first reported. Hernandez listed an East 81st Street apartment buildings as both his personal address and the address for his campaign "Miguel Hernandez for US Congress" on forms filed with the FEC.

New York's 14th Congressional District spans parts of the eastern Bronx and central Queens.

Hernandez will first have to win a Republican primary — itself a somewhat rare occurrence in New York City politics — before he gets the chance to run against Ocasio-Cortez. Bronx republican Ruth Papazian has already announced her intention of running against the Democrat, the Queens Daily Eagle reported. Papazian may have a leg up on Hernandez considering she actually lives in the same borough as the congressional district.

It's not surprising that Republicans are lining up to challenge Ocasio-Cortez. The freshman congress member has been subject to intense scrutiny from the right ever since defeating long-time incumbent Joe Crowley on a platform that adopts progressive policies and democratic-socialist ideas such as the Green New Deal.

A study conducted by left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters found the Fox News mentioned Ocasio-Cortez every day for six straight weeks from Feb. 25 to April 7 this year for a total of 3,181 mentions.

Ocasio-Cortez easily defeated Republican Anthony Pappas in the 2018 election by winning 78 percent of the vote compare to Pappas' 13 percent. Crowley, the Democrat Ocasio-Cortez unseated in the primary, won 6 percent of the vote on the Working Families Party line.