A candidate for the Republican nomination to take on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has suspended her campaign, blaming “hurdles” from “a corrupt political establishment working to silence her.”
“I am very grateful to the constituents in [New York's 14th Congressional District] and citizens from across this great nation for their support and words of encouragement,” Scherie Murray, a businesswoman and former candidate for New York City Council, said in a statement on Tuesday, according to The Hill.
“As long as avowed socialists are legislators, you can rest assured I will use my platform to advocate for the kitchen table issues of the toughest, hardest working New Yorkers. This is not the end for Scherie Murray because I will continue to work hard,” she said.
The campaign added in a statement that Murray recently filed a lawsuit against a contractor that had been hired to gather signatures on her behalf, accusing it of making errors which prevented her from qualifying for the Republican Primary.
“To add insult to injury, the vendor hired to collect qualifying signatures to secure ballot access for the Republican Party nomination in the June 2020 Primary, violated New York State election laws. The vendor was hired in good faith, yet ultimately prevented Murray from qualifying to be on the Republican Primary ballot for the June 2020 Primary,” the statement read.
One of the consultants hired to help the campaign, Andrew Shannon, told The New York Daily News that the lawsuit is simply a “smokescreen” to cover up “her own shortcomings,” adding, “If she had a competent campaign we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Murray’s withdrawal leaves former New York Police Department officer and retired teacher John Cummings as the only Republican left in the race against Ocasio-Cortez, who faces three Democratic challengers in the party’s primary, which is currently scheduled for June 23.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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