Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), a top House Democrat and co-chairman of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, hasn’t backed Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for one specific reason: Bowman hasn’t asked him.
House Democratic leadership, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), has backed Bowman as he faces a tough primary challenge. Still, Bowman hasn’t been endorsed by the once-No. 3 House Democrat, Clyburn.
“Well, he is not asking me for any kind of endorsement,” Clyburn told Politico. “He asked me for a contribution, and I gave it to him. I tend to respond to candidates based upon what they want me to do. If a candidate called and says, ‘I’d like you to come to my district,’ then I may go. He’s not asking anything else with me.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer is challenging Bowman as Bowman faces challenges at home for his anti-Israel stance, which has upset his Jewish allies in Congress and at home. Bowman represents New York’s 16th Congressional District, encompassing Westchester County, which has a sizable Jewish population.
Latimer has a staunch pro-Israel stance and is backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which has placed Bowman as one of its top targets for removal from Congress.
The intraparty fight for a safe seat has been nasty and often racially tinged, with Bowman referring to Latimer, who is white, as an “anti-Muslim” and “anti-Black” racist. Over the course of the battle, Bowman has lost the support of longtime friends and allies.
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Even 2016 presidential candidates are split on the primary, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently endorsing Latimer and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) backing Bowman.
New York’s primary is June 25.
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