House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday defended her endorsement of Rep. Joe Kennedy in his Democratic Senate primary.
Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Pelosi said, "I have consistently, proudly supported my members in their reelections — and that's been consistent — against any other people who are running against them. They can run against them, and members can support them."
Pelosi last week endorsed Kennedy, who is running against incumbent Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a move that surprised many of her colleagues and put her at odds with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Politico reported.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is a Markey supporter, said the speaker’s backing of Kennedy went against the party’s longtime policy of endorsing challengers, tweeting that “No one gets to complain about primary challenges again.”
Pelosi said that Kennedy was “instrumental” in helping the Democrats win back the House majority in 2018, calling him a valuable member of the party, adding that "I'm so proud to support him. I support my members when they run for reelection and when they run for other office."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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