New York Democrat Party Chair Stands up to Justice Democrats, Supports Carolyn Maloney

The New York Democrat Party Chairman, Jay Jacobs, released a statement Wednesday on the Justice Democrats’ backing of a socialist challenger who will run against Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

Justice Democrats announced they are backing Rana Abdelhamid’s primary bid against Maloney. Jacobs released a statement saying Abdelhamid is a 27-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, who does not live in the district she is running for and will be trying to primary a “sitting incumbent Democrat.”

Jacobs noted that any “argument that [Abdelhamid] and her “Justice Democrats” and “Democratic Socialists of America” allies put forth that Carolyn Maloney is not progressive enough is just pure nonsense.”

“Maloney has delivered for her district and is one of the most prolific legislators in Congress and was ranked the #1 leader by Govtrack in 2020 and ranked #2 in the entire New York Delegation for the most laws passed.

Jacobs touted some of the bills Maloney passed:

She passed the Card Act, which is the Credit Card Holder Bill of Rights that saves over $16B for consumers, the Debbie Smith Act, which is the most anti-rape legislation signed into law and more importantly, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. This year alone during the worst pandemic we have ever lived through, along with her colleagues, has delivered over $100B in direct aid and programs to New York including $1,400 checks to families, extending unemployment insurance and increasing the Child Tax Credit. Her record on advancing progressive legislation is undisputable.  She is a sponsor of H.R. 1, landmark legislation created to protect voting rights under threat right now in too many parts of our country.  And, she has taken the lead in the fight for statehood for the District of Columbia, to end the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of U.S. Citizens.

Jacobs said, “make no mistake about it,” the socialist democratic’s challenge is not about causes, but it is about the “power.” Jacobs said Maloney has the power, and that’s why the Justice Democrats want to challenge her. Maloney will proudly stand by her record, Jacob claimed.

The chairman wants to challenge Abdelhamid by being “honest with voters she is seeking the support of.”

He wrote, “I’ve read the DSA platform,” adding that “everyone should” – that way the constituents know where the Socialist Decmoracts stand on key issues like “ending capitalism in America, unilaterally disarming the nuclear deterrent of the U.S. military, and seizing private businesses that have to lay off workers even when their survival requires it.”

“Ms. Abdelhamid should tell the voters that she favors decriminalization of ‘sex work,’ making 26-year-olds who commit violent crimes ‘youthful offenders’ and the discontinuance of gang databases,” Jacobs added.

He said, to put it “simply, the DSA wants America to replace the capitalist system with the historically proven failure of socialism.”

Jacobs went as far as to mention, “the DSA and Justice Democrats have a long history of cherry-picking the districts they compete in, the opponents they believe they can beat, and the issues that they choose to talk about.”

He added, challenging “Carolyn Maloney, this time, they have picked the wrong opponent.”

After stating that the Democrat Socialists really challenge incumbents for power, he added if they really stood for “values,” the group “would be supporting Maloney.”