A New York lawmaker seeking control of one of the state’s newly drawn districts has found herself in an awkward position after sharing her opinion on whether Joe Biden should run for re-election in 2024.
Carolyn Maloney, one of two incumbents vying with another progressive challenger for a seat in Manhattan, had some explaining to do when a moderator during this week’s primary debate on Spectrum News asked the candidates if they thought Joe Biden had to run for office again. in the next presidential cycle.
Ms Maloney responded flatly at the time: “I don’t believe he is running for re-election.”
Jerry Nadler, the other congressman on stage, somewhat dodged the question, saying it doesn’t help Democrats to discuss such things before the midterm elections. But he also said it was “too early to tell,” indicating that he too doubts Mr. Biden’s commitment to running again. Suraj Patel, the third candidate on stage, was the only one to simply answer, “yes,” when asked whether Mr. Biden should run in 2024.
Two days later, the MP is still clarifying her remark to reporters.
Ms. Maloney initially tried to play down the backlash in a statement Wednesday to CNN’s MJ Lee: “If he decides to run, I support him. I support him and I don’t have him [any] another comment.”
But that apparently wasn’t enough, and he appeared Thursday on CNN New day, where he addressed Mr. Biden directly: “I want you to run. I happen to think you’re not going to run, but when you do or if you do, I’ll be there 100 percent.”
The awkward doubling down comes despite repeated insistences from Mr. Biden’s press team as well as the president himself that he will indeed run for re-election in 2024. If elected to four more terms, Mr. Biden would be 82 in January 2025, much older by any other person to swear.
The debate on the issue comes as many Democrats have begun publicly calling for a change in their party’s leadership, a not-so-subtle dig at the Baby Boomers who maintain an iron grip on the top jobs in the House, Senate and White House.
Ms Maloney and Mr Nadler are considered bitter rivals and have occasionally sparred with each other in the press. The two are tied in the primary for New York’s newly redrawn 12th congressional district, according to a recent poll commissioned by Mr. Patel, who trailed them within striking distance in the same survey.
