Bill Clinton endorses Sean Patrick Maloney in contentious House race

Former President Clinton announced on Wednesday that he would be endorsing Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) in his primary against a Democratic challenger who played a prominent role in Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. 

“I’ve known Sean Patrick Maloney for 30 years. I know his husband Randy Florke, and their children. Sean was a valued member of my White House team, and I was proud to watch him become a high-tech entrepreneur, make history when he became New York’s first openly LGBT Member of Congress, and then succeed in a conservative district by delivering real results for the Hudson Valley,” Bill Clinton said in a statement shared with The Hill, which was first reported by The New York Times.

“Sean has proved he can win tough elections and build coalitions to get things done for our communities and continue our progress. As a resident of the district, I look forward to voting for Sean on August 23, and I urge all my neighbors to do the same,” he added.

Maloney called Bill Clinton’s endorsement “especially meaningful.”

“I began my career in public service working for President Clinton’s 1992 ‘Putting People First’ campaign, and I am running for re-election to continue that legacy of putting people first,” Maloney wrote on Twitter. “This endorsement is especially meaningful since the Clintons live and vote here in NY-17.”

Maloney announced in mid-May that he would be running in the state’s 17th Congressional District following new congressional maps implemented in the state. Maloney’s decision to run was considered controversial, given it could have set up an awkward member-on-member primary with Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who currently represents the district.

But Jones eventually announced he would be running in the 10th Congressional District instead. 

Maloney is trying to fend off a primary challenge from New York state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D), who served as the deputy national operations director for the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign. 

Biaggi has received high-profile endorsements from progressive Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and groups like the Working Families Party.

The New York primary is slated for Aug. 23.