New York Democrat who attended White House ball says he’ll vote in favor of impeachment

First-term Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) said Sunday he will put his conscience ahead of potential political fall-out and vote in favor of both articles of impeachment against President Trump. 

Delgado, who represents a district Trump won in 2016, was one of six House Democrats reported to have attended a White House ball Thursday in a move some viewed could be a clue as to where lawmakers stood on impeachment. 

“The president pressured a foreign government for personal political gain while withholding congressionally approved foreign aid, and in doing so, both abused his power and put our national security at risk,” Delgado said in a statement. 

“The president also obstructed Congress by blanketly refusing to cooperate with the body’s constitutional right to investigate the matter.” 

Having reviewed the articles of impeachment and the underlying evidence, my conscience tells me that the right thing to do is abide by my oath of office and vote affirmatively for both articles. pic.twitter.com/zMwn5LjAPl

— Congressman Antonio Delgado (@repdelgado) December 15, 2019

The congressman represents an Upstate New York district The Cook Political Report ranks as a “Democratic toss up” ahead of the 2020 election. He unseated a Republican incumbent in 2018. 

In his statement, Delgado dismissed negative political pushback. He quoted his “hero” Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”

“Having reviewed the articles of impeachment and the underlying evidence, my conscience tells me that the right thing to do is abide my oath of office and vote affirmatively for both articles,” Delgado said. 

Delgado’s announcement follows similar comments made by other vulnerable Democrats last week. 

The House will vote on the articles of impeachment after the Judiciary Committee approved the articles on a party-line vote.