Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she ranked New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, as her second choice in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary.
The second-term congresswoman announced earlier this month that Maya Wiley, deemed the most liberal candidate in the race, would be her first choice. She later said Stringer was her second choice due to his policy platform.
“I personally have ranked Scott Stringer No. 2, and I think he’s also a really strong candidate from a policy perspective,” she said during an appearance on a Hot 97 radio show Tuesday morning.
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Ocasio-Cortez, who declared in February that she is a victim of sexual assault, did not address the allegations against Stringer in her decision.
In April, Jean Kim, who said she was an unpaid intern during Stringer’s bid for public advocate, accused the now-comptroller of “repeatedly grop[ing]” her, “put[ting] his hands on [her] thighs and between [her] legs,” and “demand[ing] to know why [she] wouldn’t have sex with him.”
Stringer acknowledged having a relationship with Kim but insisted it was consensual.
“I believe it was a mutual, consensual relationship. I never used any force, made any threats, or did any of the things that are alleged,” he said during a press conference alongside his wife, adding that he and Kim “maintained an amicable relationship for many years afterwards, until 2013, when we could not find her a role on my campaign for comptroller.”
In his initial response to Kim’s allegations, Stringer noted he “firmly believes that all survivors of harassment have the right to come forward” while maintaining that the claims “aren’t true.”
New York City‘s ranked-choice system allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. Having previously demurred when asked whom she would rank second in the primary, Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Wiley on June 5, saying the mayoral candidate “has been dedicating her life” to social justice.
“Maya Wiley is our No. 1 choice,” the New York congresswoman said, adding Wiley’s “informative life experience” as the daughter of civil rights activists who became an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP in her own career.
Wiley — who has been largely considered the most viable progressive candidate in the race following the controversies involving Stringer and nonprofit executive Dianne Morales, whose campaign has been accused of racial insensitivity and sexual harassment — saw a boost in the polls following Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement. Recent polling suggests she is currently in a four-way race against Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and former New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia.
Support for Stringer collapsed following Kim’s allegations, with Reps. Jamaal Bowman, José Serrano, and Adriano Espaillat, along with several state legislators and organizations, withdrawing their support for the comptroller’s candidacy after the claims surfaced.
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Due to New York City’s heavily Democratic tilt, the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary contest is expected to win the city’s general election, which will be held Nov. 2.
A representative for Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment about the allegations against Stringer.
