Freshman swing district Democrat Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday, believing that Biden will “fix” the damage done by President Donald Trump.
Rep. Maloney told Politico Monday that he has decided to back Barack Obama’s vice president in the 2020 Democrat primaries. In the interview, the New York Democrat claimed that Biden would be able to beat President Trump in swing districts such as his.
Rep. Maloney said he would also be able “to inspire people across the country.”
“He’s just got the unique combination of experience and decency that I think are gonna win voters like ones I represent,” Rep. Maloney said. He added that Biden would be able to “take the country forward and fix the damage” set by the current president.
Rep. Maloney represents one of the 31 congressional districts that President Trump won during the 2016 presidential election that House Democrats flipped during the 2018 midterm elections. Republicans hope to regain roughly 20 congressional seats to win back the House majority.
Congressman Maloney’s endorsement of Biden follows as Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX), who also represents a congressional district, endorsed the former Democrat vice president.
Maloney refuted arguments that Biden is not progressive enough, saying that the former Delaware senator has a “record of achieving progressive change that anyone would be proud of.” Rep. Maloney, who is openly gay, said Biden had an “early and critical role in the fight for marriage equality.”
Rep. Maloney served as one of the many swing district Democrats who voted for both articles of impeachment against President Trump, charging that the president abused the office of the presidency and obstructed Congress.
The New York Democrat said in December that the president’s conduct with Ukraine left no “alternative” but to impeach him.
Rep. Maloney said, “From the start, I have had a high bar for impeachment. But the President’s conduct has left us no alternative.”
“If we are to be faithful to the people we serve and the oath we take to the Constitution, we must hold this president or any president accountable for such misconduct,” he added.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.