Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) is wading into a controversial, high-stakes Democratic congressional runoff in Texas that has become national news after one of the candidates pledged to convert an immigration detention center into a “prison for American Zionists.”
Gottheimer promised to force an expulsion vote “every single day” if progressive sex therapist Maureen Galindo were to be successful in November.
‘If, for some reason, Maureen Galindo wins the Congressional election in TX-35, as soon as she is sworn in, we will force a vote to expel her every single day we are here,” Gottheimer said in a joint statement with Rep. Jared Moscowitz (D-Florida). “Maureen’s insane, antisemitic views — including putting Americans in concentration camps — have no place in our party or country.”
The Bergen County Democrat told the New Jersey Globe that he plans to contribute to Galindo’s opponent, Johnny Garcia.
Galindo was the top vote-getter in the March 3 Democratic primary for an open seat in Texas’ 35th district; she led 29%-27% in a four-candidate race and faces Garcia, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Department official, in the May 26 runoff election.
The path for Galindo to actually go to Congress is unlikely; state and national Democrats are supporting Garcia in next week’s vote, and the winner of the Republican runoff is actually favored to flip the seat in a redrawn Trump +11 district.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and DCC Chair Suzan DelBene have slammed Republicans for meddling in the Democratic primary to ensure the nomination of a far less electable candidate for the November general election.
According to published reports, a shadowy super PAC with alleged ties to Republicans has been spending money in support of Galindo, promoting her pledge to dismantle ICE and support the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Galindo says the money is being funneled into the PAC by a “billionaire Zionist.”
“This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party,” Jeffries and DelBene said in a statement last night. “To embrace and uplift a fringe candidate with antisemitic — and extremely dangerous — rhetoric and views in order to win an election is beyond the pale.”
The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, James Talarico, said he won’t campaign with Galindo if she wins the runoff. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says she is “openly bigoted.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) called Galindo’s statement” absolutely disgusting” and urged Democrats to vote for Garcia.
“This bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics,” she said. “And the donors behind the Republican super PAC funding her should be exposed.”
Galindo has raised no money from New Jersey donors. Garcia has one contributor from the Garden State: he received $250 from a South Orange attorney.
In his 2022 re-election campaign, Gottheimer openly sent mailers to Republicans in his district, boosting Pallotta’s connections to Donald Trump and conservative policies, in a bid to avoid a general election challenge from another Republican, Nick De Gregorio, a Marine combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pallotta won the GOP primary by four points.
Earlier today, the New Jersey Globe reported that a mysterious new super PAC based out of Nebraska with ties to Republicans is spending money to steer votes away from Democrat Rebecca Bennett in New Jersey’s 7th district.