With the June 23 primary coming soon, many will be watching the race to represent NY-14, a split-borough district that includes the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights and the Bronx neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Mott Haven, Parkchester and Throggs Neck.
Democrats Felipe Garcia and Marty Dolan will challenge incumbent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she took office in 2019. Republican Diamant Hysenaj will challenge the Democratic winner in the Nov. general election.
While most primary elections see low Bronx turnout, this year may be different, given the city’s current political dynamics.
The election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani saw a wave of enthusiasm towards left-leaning politics focused on affordability concerns. He and Ocasio-Cortez are both affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, which has championed a platform of increasing taxes on the wealthy.
Since her unlikely election, Ocasio-Cortez has become a national star and is now surrounded by speculation about a run for the U.S. Senate or even the presidency. In recent months, she has denounced President Trump’s attacks on Iran and, closer to home, vocally opposed the state’s plans to widen the Cross Bronx Expressway to make room for repairing its aging bridges. The Department of Transportation recently dropped all its plans amid local opposition.
Ocasio-Cortez was last re-elected in 2024 with 68.9% of the vote. In that election, the Conservative Party candidate, Tina Forte, received 30.7% support.
Both Dolan and Garcia have cast Ocasio-Cortez as a far-left “woke” candidate and said they offer a more moderate alternative.
Dolan is a former Wall Street insurance executive who challenged AOC in the 2022 primary and later mounted an unsuccessful campaign for NYC Public Advocate.
Dolan has said he believes that some of his policies are more progressive than those on the left.
He proposes $75,000 in home equity to allow NYCHA residents the option to buy their apartments, as well as reimbursing young workers for their taxes paid upon turning 26, up to $25,000.
In a past interview with the Bronx Times, Dolan compared the idea to “Johnny Appleseed planting seeds” in order to “grow great 25-year-olds.”
“My campaign’s gonna be, I have $25,000 for your kid, and a free apartment for you,” he said. “There’s nothing more important than that.”
Garcia, a Hunts Point native and former Mount Sinai executive, previously told the Bronx Times that he would prioritize career pathways for young people leaving high school, especially in high-demand fields such as phlebotomy and company security.
“It’s time to really put my district first, and the only way to do that is having someone who’s literally born and bred in the district, with no loyalty to anyone else but the upbringing that they have,” Garcia said.
When it comes to fundraising, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show both Dolan and Garcia with a steep hill to climb.
Ocasio-Cortez has nearly $15 million cash on hand, whereas Dolan has about $8,000 and has loaned more than $33,000 to his campaign, and Garcia has just over $4,000 and previously said he budgeted $100,000 of his own money.
Meanwhile, Hysenaj, the Republican candidate, has raised $288,000 in contributions and has $13,000 cash on hand.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
