"People are pissed off": House Dems sneer as one of their own backs a Republican

Rep. Jared Golden's decision to endorse one of House Republicans' most vulnerable incumbents is going down like a lead balloon among his fellow House Democrats. Why it matters: The anger won't have much impact on Golden (D-Maine), who is retiring, but it could blow back on his closest ally, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.). "People are pissed off," a House Democrat speaking on the condition of anonymity to share details of private discussions told Axios, adding, "He is doing Gluesenkamp Perez no favors ... this will hurt her." The Washington Democrat, who often breaks from party leadership and moves as a unit with Golden, "is going to have to figure out how she navigates around the suspicion this will create for her next Congress," this lawmaker said. "He is leaving," said a senior House Democrat. "Marie is a bigger problem." Driving the news: Golden wrote an op-ed in a local newspaper in Rep. Mike Lawler's New York district endorsing the Republican for reelection. Golden cited his work with Lawler on several pieces of legislation, most notably their bill to exempt lobstermen from certain federal environmental regulations. "Mike Lawler has been a true partner to me and a friend to fishing families he will never represent," Golden wrote. "I strongly back him, and I hope voters send him back to work." Between the lines: The endorsement comes after Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, who previously co-chaired the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, repeatedly broke with party leadership on key procedural votes in recent weeks. Twice this month, the two Democrats provided Republican leadership with the votes needed to advance their legislation to the floor, including bills strongly opposed by Democratic leaders. The repeated defections have sparked enormous anger within the House Democratic caucus, with some lawmakers calling to punish Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez. What they're saying: Democrats met Golden's endorsement with contemptuous dismissal, arguing that it will do little to move the needle for a Republican in a district that went for former Vice President Harris in 2024. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that Lawler is "peddling an 11th hour endorsement from a retiring Congressmember who represents an out of town district more than 400 miles away." "That endorsement should get Mike an additional three votes — comprising most of the New Yorkers who have ever heard of Jared Golden," Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) told Axios. A third House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity said similarly: "I don't think it's going to help Lawler. The people in that district who know who Golden is already know who they are voting for." The intrigue: Just hours after the endorsement, House Democrats' main super PAC announced plans to spend millions more in the media market that encompasses Lawler's district. House Majority PAC said it is reserving $2.45 million more on cable reservations in the New York City media market. Some Democrats have argued against spending large sums to unseat Lawler, arguing that he is one of Republicans' most bipartisan and most politically formidable members. Republicans have been massively outspending Democrats in Lawler's district.

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