NY-16: Elizabeth Warren to endorse progressive challenger in primary against Eliot Engel

[RandySF]

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to endorse Jamaal Bowman on Tuesday, throwing her support in a closely watched Democratic primary race behind a middle school principal who has garnered backing from big-name progressive leaders in his challenge against longtime New York Rep. Eliot Engel.

"He is exactly the kind of person we need in Congress fighting for big, structural change. Whether it's fighting for high-quality public schools, affordable housing, or rooting out systemic racism, Jamaal Bowman will be a champion for working people in Washington," Warren will say in an endorsement statement obtained by CNN.

"Senator Warren knows it's not enough to keep electing Democrats that will only nibble around the edges, and it's why I am running to make big, structural change in New York's 16th District," Bowman will say in the release.

Warren's endorsement is the latest example of the growing progressive momentum behind Bowman, who is challenging Engel, a long-serving and influential Democrat in Congress with significant establishment support. New York will hold its primary election on Tuesday, June 23.
Warren's endorsement comes the day after The New York Times reported Hillary Clinton's endorsement of Engel, marking the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee's first primary endorsement in a 2020 House race.


https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/politics/elizabeth-warren-jamaal-bowman/index.html

[empedocles]

1. Elizabeth making tactical move to secure Progressive vote

[still_one]

7. That is pretty cynical. Are you saying her endorsement is just a political calculation?

[empedocles]

11. Not just calculation, no. Positioning into the developing void, with good leadership.

[still_one]

13. Developing void is an excellent characterization of what we are going into

[empedocles]

14. If past is prologue, [and it is], there will be a mad rush, of all sorts of characters,

to try and seize dominion [i.e., be the loudest voice, by whatever means necessary], of the Progressives.

[Iliyah]

2. Democrats . . .

a party of diversity. Now we won't see the Democratic Party's leaders trashing Senate Warren or any other Democrat that don't support their choices do we.

But alas, if Republicans don't toll the effed up line, they get trashed from the top on down.

Which party represent Democracy.

[still_one]

3. I don't think anyone can predict the results of this primary. Adam Schiff and Jim Clyburn

have endorsed Engel, along with Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Interestingly Schumer isn't endorsing anyone.

The question I think is will the endorsement of the "justice Democrats" help or hurt Bowman?

We will know on June 23, next week

[theaocp]

4. Is EW a "justice Democrat"?

Asking for a friend.

[still_one]

6. LOL. I don't believe so, though she has endorsed candidates that the JD also endorsed. Not the

same thing

[theaocp]

8. It seems irrelevant to the topic.

I wouldn’t want people who are predisposed against Justice Democrats to get mexed missages.

[still_one]

9. Problem is there is a lot of controversy associated with Justice Democrats, along with Cenk Uygur

one of its founders which has historical issues from 2016, so that "predisposition" bias is not going away anytime soon

[obamanut2012]

10. no wtf

[blm]

12. Warren's a proactive progressive Dem who blends creative thinking with common sense.

[Mariana]

5. Rep. Engel apparently doesn't think endorsements are an element of democracy, but of dictatorship.

Here is what he had to say in response to a previous endorsement of his opponent:

Eliot Engel talking about @AOC endorsement of his opponent at a candidate forum today:

"This is not a dictatorship. This is a democracy. We shouldn't have one person, from high, even though she's a colleague of mine, think that she can anoint whoever's elected."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213562141

[empedocles]

15. 'she' . . . wonder who Engel is talking about.

[Celerity]

16. I didn't see him complain about someone REALLY from 'on high'

(as in the Speaker of the House) endorsing him.

[Mariana]

17. Of course, he's a hypocrite. nt.

[Celerity]

18. he is great on domestic issues, but has been a hardcore hawk on most every major

war/military incursion we have gotten into since he joined Congress, including Iraq. Shortly after entering Congress, he sponsored a resolution declaring Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel (a very divisive move that was contrary to American official foreign policy under Clinton, Bush, and Obama until Trump adopted it), and he he worked to try and scupper Obama's Iran nuclear deal. At least he finally switched and now opposes the illegal settlements on Palestinian territory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Engel

I am sick of the military industrial complex, the war/security/surveillance/militarised police state and the globalised forever wars sucking up trillions of dollars that could go to helping out our citizens live better lives.

[Gothmog]

19. Schumer is endorsing Engel

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Gothmog]

20. First responders are endorsing Engel

Link to tweet

[Cha]

21. TY for that Goth! Retweeted!

Link to tweet

[Cha]

22. I'm going with Jim Clyburn and Adam Schiff who have Actually Worked

with Rep Engel.

I'll take these endorsements over Warren's..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet