U.S. Senator Charles Schumer will joinNY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Congressman Jerrold Nadler in endorsing Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez for re-election, today, Sunday, June 3rd, at 10:00 a.m. at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.
Getting the support of the top democratic leaders will boost Velázquez’ campaign. Getting the support of the three top Jewish politicians in New York state is not a bad thing either.
A court-imposed re-mapping of congressional voting districts in New York City has added a hefty part of the still-Jewish Lower East Side to Velázquez’ now Seventh District. The neighborhood used to be part of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s district.
Indeed, the endorsements of the three “top Jews” are scheduled for an hour before the Israel Day Parade on Fifth Avenue today.
A source in the Democratic party told the NY Post that “having the three top Jewish Democrats in the state endorsing her certainly bolsters her credentials on Israel and within the Jewish community.”
Her major opponent, City Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, has called the 10-term incumbent Velázquez anti-Zionist.
In one of his campaign handouts, Dilan said that Velázquez had “the worst voting record on Israel in the New York congressional delegation.”
Dilan attacked Velazquez as one of the few members of Congress who refused to sign a 2010 letter calling on President Obama to impose sanctions on Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons to be used against Israel.
The Velazquez camp told the NY Daily News that “suggesting the Congresswoman is anything but a friend, ally and supporter of Israel is politically driven nonsense.”
“She has been outspoken on issues ranging from holding Syria accountable for failing to support the peace process, condemning attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah on soldiers and civilians, furthering aid to Israel, calling on the U.N. to take to task the Iranian government for threats targeting Israel, and reaffirming the right of Israel to defend itself.”
Velazquez, Dilan, Dan O’Connor and George Martinez are on the ballot for the June 26 Democratic primary.