U.S. House, New York 14th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 14th Congressional District?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has the strongest record in New York's 14th Congressional District. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Diamant Hysenaj (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Diamant Hysenaj
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
61 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Diamant Hysenaj
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Mark against2025-07-25
The House Ethics Committee found she impermissibly accepted gifts tied to the 2021 Met Gala and directed further payments of $2,733.28 and $250; it imposed no sanction.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics, Report 119-219, July 25, 2025, House Committee on Ethics, report page
- On the record2026-10-09
PolitiFact's scorecard of her statements shows 8 rated False and 1 Pants on Fire, alongside 2 Mostly True and 2 Half True.
- On the record2023-05-31
Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the 2023 debt limit deal, when Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voted Aye.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023
- On the record2023
Ranked 435 of 436 House members on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores 2023
- On the record2022-07-19
Arrested at an abortion rights protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court on July 19, 2022; a House Ethics Committee report that month noted a $50 fine.
Source: GovTrack, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, misconduct entry
- On the record2019-11-04
Settled a federal First Amendment suit by former Assemblyman Dov Hikind over blocking him on Twitter, unblocking him and apologizing in a statement that called the block wrong and improper.
Sources: News 12 Bronx, Nov. 4, 2019, CNN via WRAL, Nov. 4, 2019
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Diamant Hysenaj. A House candidate financial disclosure was filed Oct. 16, 2025. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10072305, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00898593
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The House Ethics Committee found in July 2025 that she impermissibly accepted gifts tied to the 2021 Met Gala and directed $2,983 in further payments, with no sanction. Her 2025 annual disclosure was filed Aug. 6, 2026.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics, Report 119-219, July 25, 2025, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076462
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Voted against all three House Democratic leaders on the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act, the 2024 FISA reauthorization and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 119, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Holds open in-person town halls in the Bronx and Queens, including Co-op City in January 2023 and Jackson Heights in 2025 (about 450 attendees). No 2026 general election debate found.
Sources: News 12, Jan. 21, 2023, New York Post via AOL, 2025
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In the U.S. House since 2019. No censure or reprimand found; the 2025 House Ethics gift-rule finding carried no sanction and is scored under criterion 1.
Sources: GovTrack, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, House Committee on Ethics, Report 119-219, July 25, 2025
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Voted Nay on both Jan. 6, 2021 objections to certified electors. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Diamant Hysenaj. President of the construction and building firm DCG New York; has not held public office.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In the U.S. House since January 2019, seeking a fifth term.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, GovTrack, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Diamant Hysenaj. Campaign site lists priorities on rent, housing, health costs, taxes and public safety in general terms.
Source: Campaign site
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee (Energy, Health, and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees).
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Diamant Hysenaj. Publishes a plan page on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Diamant Hysenaj
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sends a monthly newsletter in English and Spanish, holds town halls and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Born in the Bronx and has represented the district since 2019; her FEC record lists a Corona, Queens address. FEC by-state totals show about 12 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, GovTrack, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Diamant Hysenaj. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00898593
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine. The 2025 Ethics report also found she failed to oversee staff on Met Gala payments; see notes.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00639591, House Committee on Ethics, Report 119-219, July 25, 2025
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Legislative Effectiveness Score 2.0 of 0.276 against a benchmark of 0.530 in the 118th Congress, which the Center rates as meets expectations. GovTrack lists no enacted bill she sponsored.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Missed 72 of 3,869 roll call votes, 1.9 percent, from January 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Runs district offices in Astoria (by appointment) and Hunts Point and takes casework requests. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -2.08267 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 435 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores 2023
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Diamant Hysenaj. No public record found.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New York's 14th Congressional District?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has the strongest record in New York's 14th Congressional District. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's highest marks are relevant experience and courage. Diamant Hysenaj (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 14th Congressional District in 2026?
Diamant Hysenaj (Republican), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Diamant Hysenaj a good candidate for Congress?
Diamant Hysenaj has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a good candidate for Congress?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.