Katie Porter endorses Engel challenger Jamaal Bowman

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) on Monday endorsed Jamaal Bowman, who is challenging House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who is in his 16th term in the House, in a June 23 Democratic primary.

“Jamaal Bowman is running for Congress for the same reasons I did — to stand up to special interests and fight for working families. He’ll come to Congress ready to take on corporate executives, not hit them up for donations,” Porter said in a statement Monday. “Our Congress needs new voices like Jamaal’s to push our country forward. As a fellow parent and educator, I am proud to endorse Jamaal. I hope you’ll join me in supporting him in the June 23rd Primary.”

“I am honored to have earned Congresswoman Porter’s support and endorsement,” Bowman said in tweeting out the endorsement.

I am honored to have earned @katieporteroc‘s support and endorsement.

A member of the insurgent class of 2018, Rep. Porter is a true fighter for working families in her community and across the country.

I look forward to joining her in that fight in Congress. #NY16 pic.twitter.com/fnO30z1bP9

— Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) June 15, 2020

Bowman has seen several high-profile endorsements from the progressive wing of the party in recent weeks, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), as well as from the editorial board of The New York Times. The Times specifically cited a recent incident in which Engel, attending an event in his district, was captured on a hot mic insisting he be allowed to speak at a particular time, saying, “if I didn’t have a primary I wouldn’t care.”

Several members of House Democratic leadership, however, have rallied around Engel in his tough primary challenge.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) both endorsed Engel for reelection in statements to Politico on Sunday, while Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) endorsed him on Saturday.