New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi looks to primary House Democrat Campaign Chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), who progressives have accused of “racism” for taking over a black colleague’s congressional district in order to ensure an easier general-election victory.
Biaggi’s announcement follows Maloney’s decision to run in New York’s Seventeenth Congressional District — where Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) currently serves — seeking a safer path for reelection after this year’s redistricting. Jones bowed out of a primary battle against Maloney to instead run in New York’s Tenth Congressional District; Maloney was running uncontested until Sen. Alessandra Biaggi took up the challenge.
On Monday, the state senator said that she looks to block Maloney from waltzing into the congressional seat which was not originally his.
Biaggi called herself a “proud Democrat” and labeled Maloney “a selfish, corporate Democrat” who is damaging the party.
“What hurt the party was having the head of the campaign arm not stay in his district, not maximize the number of seats New York can have to hold the majority,” she added.
Maloney has taken heat from fellow Democrats who have called for him to resign, labeled his district-jumping campaign “egregious political malpractice,” and even accused him of racism.
Before Jones officially announced he was switching districts, socialist “Squad” leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for Maloney to resign as campaign chair if he followed through with a primary challenge against his junior colleague.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) accused Maloney of racism for forcing Jones to leave his district and called the debacle “outrageous.” In a tweet, he said, “The thinly veiled racism here is profoundly disappointing.”
MSNBC host Chris Hayes also hammered the Democrat congressman, accusing him of “egregious political malpractice.”
Biaggi, blasting the “lack of urgency in Washington,” has already been running in the Empire State’s Third Congressional District but decided to make the switch after the state’s court finalized the new congressional lines last week.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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