Engel and Bowman Battle for Endorsements

Engel and Bowman Battle for Endorsements in Tight Congressional Primary

BY Emily Ngo The Bronx

PUBLISHED 5:37 PM ET Jun. 17, 2020 PUBLISHED 5:37 PM EDT Jun. 17, 2020

The final days of the competitive Democratic primary between 31-year Rep. Eliot Engel and his progressive challenger, Jamaal Bowman, have turned into a battle of endorsements.

FULL DEBATE: Rep. Engel and Challenger Jamaal Bowman Clash in NY1 Debate on Policing and the Black Experience

Establishment Democrats are lining up behind Engel, underscoring his vulnerability.

Since Monday, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have announced their support for Engel’s reelection.

Clinton and Cuomo had yet to weigh in on any House primaries this cycle.

Meanwhile, progressive heavyweights are throwing their support to Bowman.

This week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts announced their endorsements of the former middle-school principal.

They join Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and national left-leaning groups like the Working Families Party, the Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement.

The New York party leaders endorsing Engel join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Adam Schiff, Hakeem Jeffries, and John Lewis.

Bowman’s campaign on Wednesday shared a Data for Progress poll that showed him leading Engel by 10 points among likely Democratic voters in the Bronx and Westchester County district. Among black voters, Bowman had 56 percent support compared to Engel’s 10 percent, according to the survey.

Engel’s campaign tweeted Wednesday that an internal poll showed the congressman ahead of Bowman by eight points.

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