Hillary Clinton has backed the primary opponent of a sitting House Democrat in New York, sparking major backlash from some in her party.
The twice-failed presidential candidate endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the congressional seat, which is currently held by Representative Jamaal Bowman.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” wrote Clinton on X on Wednesday.
Clinton’s endorsement of Latimer caused many progressives to condemn the move.
“Imagine taking Hillary Clinton’s advice in a year with Trump on the ballot,” wrote Bhaskar Sunkara.
Meanwhile, former press secretary for Bernie Sanders, Briahna Joy Gray, said that Clinton’s endorsement of Latimer is a ‘clear’ indication that people should be voting for Bowman.
“Hillary Clinton endorsed the AIPAC challenger to @RepBowman who recently dog whistled that Bowman’s constituency was Dearborn,” she wrote.
Bowman, who is a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called ‘Squad,’ who recently faced criticism in his party for his anti-Israel stance.
His primary against Latimer is being watched carefully by Democrats and Republicans.
Clinton’s backing came following Bowman’s attack on Latimer, where he said, “He’s in the pocket of Republican billionaires … who are racist.”
“He is also not just anti-Black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist.”
Politico reported:
Clinton’s reference to supporting Biden’s vision for the country tracks with the Latimer coalition’s messaging.
His coalition has been highlighting Bowman’s vote against the bipartisan infrastructure plan that Biden had championed.
Bowman has noted that his vote wasn’t critical to the passage of the law and he wanted to advocate for social spending.
Latimer, who is benefiting from a multi-million-dollar support campaign by pro-Israel AIPAC, has said Bowman’s criticism of the Jewish state stands in stark contrast to mainstream Democrats.
In a statement responding to Clinton’s endorsement, Latimer said:
“Her voice gives even more momentum to our grassroots campaign, which keeps gaining strength because we stand strongly and honestly for our values and for our belief in delivering meaningful results for the communities we serve.”
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