New Jersey: Bill Clinton Holds Rally for Bill Pascrell
President Bill Clinton will headline a Friday rally for Rep. Bill Pascrell, whom he previously endorsed over a fellow Democratic Member.
“I know Bill Pascrell, and he is the fighter we need to support President [Barack] Obama,” Clinton said in a statement offered by Pascrell’s campaign.
Pascrell faces Rep. Steven Rothman in next week’s primary after the Garden State lost a House seat in redistricting.
Clinton has endorsed other House candidates this cycle, but a personal appearance by the former commander in chief is not guaranteed with his endorsement. Clinton did not campaign in person for Rep. Mark Critz ahead of his April primary victory. But he did attend a rally for Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas), who was locked in a competitive primary held Tuesday.
Clinton’s appearance in New Jersey is notable because the race is seen as a proxy battle between the Clintons and Obama. After Clinton backed Pascrell in early May, top Obama adviser David Axelrod endorsed Rothman and then campaigned with him in the district.
Pascrell backed Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rothman backed Obama in the 2008 presidential primary.