Westchester Dems are
pitching Chelsea Clinton on running for Rep. Nita Lowey’s seat after retirement announcement: source
Chelsea Clinton is seen before Super Bowl 52 between the Eagles and the Patriots in Minneapolis. (Matt Slocum / AP)
Suburban New York Democrats want the Clinton machine back in Congress.
Top officials in the Westchester County Democratic Party were pitching Chelsea Clinton Wednesday on launching a 2020 bid for Nita Lowey’s seat in light of the longtime congresswoman’s retirement announcement, according to a party source familiar with the matter.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations, cautioned that Clinton hasn’t personally expressed interest, but said local party leaders were reaching out to her within hours of Lowey, 82, announcing she won’t run for reelection next year.
“If you’re a Clinton and you need a hook, this is a good one,” the source told the Daily News, noting that Lowey’s 17th congressional district includes Chappaqua, the ritzy Westchester suburb where Chelsea Clinton’s prominent parents live.
Reginald Lafayette, the county party’s chairman, did not return a request for comment and neither did a spokesman for the Clinton family.
Lowey, who serves as the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee and was first elected to Congress in 1989, unexpectedly announced Wednesday afternoon that she will step down next year.
“I love the job. I would love it probably for another 10 years, but, frankly, 32 years is a great career,” the 16-term congresswoman told The News in a phone interview. “For me it is so rewarding, but there comes a time...and I thought, this is the time.”
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) speaks at "Making AIDS History: A Roadmap for Ending the Epidemic" at the Hart Senate Building in this file photo. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
Clinton, 39, has long been rumored to be considering a career in public service.
Her mother, Hillary Clinton, served as a U.S. senator for New York for eight years before becoming secretary of state in the Obama administration. Her father, Bill Clinton, was the 42nd president of the U.S.
Two candidates have already announced Democratic bids for Lowey’s district, which spans parts of Queens, the Bronx, Westchester and Rockland Counties.
The congressional hopeful who has created the most buzz so far is Mondaire Jones, a progressive lawyer and activist who served in the Justice Department during the Obama administration.
Vying to become the first openly gay African-American member of Congress, Jones rapidly started fundraising off of Lowey’s retirement announcement.
“I want to thank Congresswoman Lowey for her years of extraordinary, inspiring service to the district,” Jones tweeted along with a link to his fundraising portal. “I’m looking forward to making my case to every voter in Westchester and Rockland Counties on my plan to bring bold, progressive leadership to Washington.”
Luz Awilda Moreno Casanova, a nonprofit project coordinator from Yonkers, has also announced a bid for Lowey’s seat.
News of Lowey’s retirement will likely set wheels into motion for a more centrist candidate to launch a 2020 bid as well, and Clinton would be a clear favorite, should she decide to run.
Lowey’s district is overwhelmingly blue, setting up ideal circumstances for a high-stakes primary next year.
Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton attend a town hall meeting at the Haverford Community Recreation and Environmental Center in Haverford, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
A top ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Lowey hasn’t faced a viable Democratic challenger in decades. She won the 2018 midterms with 88% of the vote.
She leaves behind a historic legacy in Congress that includes being the first woman tapped to lead the powerful House appropriations panel.
In a retirement statement issued by her office, Lowey touted her role in advancing legislation benefiting U.S. interests across the world and said she will keep up the hard work until she crosses the finish line.
“Thank you to the people of my district for the opportunity to serve," she said. "I will continue working as hard as ever — with the same optimism and energy — through the end of this term in Congress.”
Chris Sommerfeldt is a reporter covering national politics and the Trump administration. He started working for the Daily News in May 2015 as a city desk reporter.
Michael McAuliff
New York Daily News
Michael McAuliff is a D.C.-based stringer for the Daily News covering politics.