A Republican opponent of Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released his first campaign advertisement Friday, giving a personal account of his family fleeing a socialist regime.
Desi Cuellar, who hopes to replace Ocasio-Cortez in the U.S. House of Representatives, called the threat of socialism “personal” as he recounted his family’s flight from Cuba’s communist regime and the economic hardships they faced in America.
“My family fled Cuba to escape socialism. But growing up we went through the same financial challenges that countless families face in this country,” Cuellar said. “I’ve worked a dozen jobs. And just like my opponent AOC, I’ve bartended just to make ends meet.”
“But that’s where our similarities end. As an adult, I’ve struggled,” he said.
Cuellar’s family fled to Miami, Florida, after Castro’s communist revolution in 1959. They eventually relocated to Queens, New York, where his single mother worked multiple jobs due to the city’s high cost of living, according to the ad. The congressional candidate said he has been homeless and later enlisted in the National Guard.
My family fled Cuba to escape socialism.
I was born & raised in Queens.
As a New Yorker, I’m sick and tired of seeing AOC use our city as a launching pad for her socialist agenda.
I’m running for Congress in NY-14 to stop her.
Support Our Mission:https://t.co/q43BUWeBjI pic.twitter.com/q9hjg4zzBF
— Desi Cuellar for Congress (NY-14) (@DesiJCuellar) September 29, 2021
Cuellar argued that Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist, is working to “undo what countless Americans died to preserve” by pushing for far-left policies during her time as a representative. (RELATED: Poll: New Yorkers Consider Ocasio-Cortez A Villain In Amazon Pullout By Wide Margins)
“I refuse to let this democratic socialist and her goon squad push us more toward the socialism that destroyed the lives of countless families, including my own,” Cuellar said. “For me, this is personal. That’s why I’m running.”
Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Green New Deal to the House in 2018 with the intention of combating climate change by moving to a costly 100% renewable electric grid.
Ocasio-Cortez has supported the “defund the police” movement. She also called the public’s concern over the country’s rising crime rates “hysteria,” reiterating her support to “reallocate resources away” from law enforcement during a June 27 virtual town hall.