Bernie Sanders backs New York's Jamaal Bowman against Eliot Engel in rare move against Democratic incumbent

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesn't usually back challengers to incumbents within the Democratic Party regardless of their political ideologies. He didn't even endorse Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) during her primary challenge in 2018 despite their similar viewpoints and personal connections. That's frustrated some progressives in the past, but Sanders' latest announcement may have placated that crowd.

The senator on Tuesday endorsed Jamaal Bowman in his challenge against Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). In a statement, he said Bowman will "fight to invest, end mass incarceration, and address the housing crisis."

Sanders, the de facto leader of the progressive movement and a two-time Democratic presidential primary runner-up, will likely be one of the highest-profile names to back Bowman, but it appears to be part of a larger push. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.