DSA WEIGHS BOWMAN ENDORSEMENT: A late endorsement of Rep. Jamal Bowman would be a way to strike a blow against AIPAC, the pro-Israel organization that recruited and funded George Latimer to run against him. That comes from the campaign plan posted online by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The race is an opportunity to oppose AIPAC “head on and help loosen their stranglehold on US politics,” the document says. Bowman is joining the NYC-DSA on Sunday evening for a forum as they consider an endorsement. But in a strange wrinkle, endorsing the endangered incumbent would align them with another Bowman endorser: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — a top recipient of AIPAC funding who the same DSA document calls “genocidal” for his support of Israel in the war in Gaza. The document highlights DSA’s role in ceasefire protests against “genocidal congresspeople such as Yvette Clarke, Dan Goldman, and Hakeem Jeffries.” Latimer’s supporters at Democratic Majority for Israel found that offensive. “It is but not surprising that Jamaal Bowman is pleading for help from an extremist group that attacks these great Democratic leaders in the most vile terms,” Mark Mellman, the president and CEO of the pro-Israel advocacy group, said. NYC-DSA and Jeffries’ team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bowman’s team seems increasingly willing to embrace the party’s left wing as the June 25 Democratic primary approaches. The campaign on Thursday announced an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders. — Jeff Coltin GOTTFRIED RUNS AGAIN: Richard Gottfried will be on the ballot again next month — two years after he wrapped up a 52-year tenure in the state Assembly, one of the longest stints in a state legislature in American history. Gottfried will be running in his Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood to be a judicial delegate, one of the people elected on primary day to pick nominees for open judgeships. He won a race for that job in 2023, when he agreed to head the ballot for the HKDems club as it ran a slate against the more established McManus Democratic Club. There won’t be a contested race this time around, but Gottfried said party leaders “still felt it would be good to have me run on the combined slate.” “The amusing thing was in 1968, when I first turned 21, which was the legal age for voting in those days, I ran for judicial delegate and was elected,” he said. That was the first race he ever won. Gottfried hasn’t completely abandoned the Capitol — he’s been lobbying members on Covid-19 oversight and was in the building in support of the push for legalizing aid in dying. “Politics can be very addictive if it goes well,” he said. — Bill Mahoney CLOWN SHOW: The fallout from former President Donald Trump’s rally in the Bronx continued today, with Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis criticizing Hochul over a “clown” comment to CNN. The controversy began in a CNN interview with Hochul chiding Trump for holding a rally in deep blue New York City. Hochul insisted Democratic-dominated New York would not be in play in the presidential election. “It won’t make a difference at all for Donald Trump to be the ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx,” Hochul said. That drew a rebuke from Malliotakis, a lawmaker who represents Staten Island, a Trump stronghold. “These comments are unbecoming of any elected leader, particularly a governor who represents one of the largest states in our union,” Malliotakis said, and added the governor should apologize. Malliotakis was among the handful of Republican House members who signed onto a statement in support of Trump that also denounced the “illegal and corrupt lawfare” as Trump faces an ongoing hush money trial in Manhattan. — Nick Reisman
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