Imani Oakley Statement on Tuesday’s election

Montclair, NJ — Imani Oakley, progressive candidate for Congress in NJ’s 10th Congressional District, issued the following statement on Tuesday’s election results.

“The Democratic establishment collapsed under its own top-heaviness Tuesday,” she said. “Party leaders have continued to put forward candidates that do not speak to the radical change American’s need and deserve.”

Tuesday’s election saw a Democratic rout in Virginia and a narrowly averted disaster in New Jersey.

Oakley pointed out that some in establishment Democratic circles are jumping to blame progressives instead of analyzing how local electoral machines may have hobbled their own campaign efforts.

“Corporate Democrats are pivoting quickly from last night’s embarrassing results to blaming progressives for not carrying the party’s gubernatorial candidates across the finish line,” Oakley said. “Instead of playing the blame game, the establishment wing needs to take accountability and actually listen to its progressive base.”

Oakley also noted that this election cycle, Democratic party insiders have repeatedly marginalized progressive Black and brown women in favor of moderate male candidates.

“Establishment Dems worked to undermine India Walton’s victory in Buffalo, played kingmaker for Terry McAuliffe in Virginia, and have constantly attempted to stymie local progressives,” Oakley said. “They should not be surprised when progressives, people of color, and the working class don’t come out to vote. It may be too late for the party to learn its lesson in 2021, but they can avoid it in 2022.”

Imani Oakley is a long-time political organizer and pro-democracy activist running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. The seat covers parts of Essex, Union, and Hudson counties. Her time working in New Jersey political spaces has made one thing clear: our state suffers from rabid corruption. Her campaign is dedicated to ending this system and lifting up working-class communities.