Rep. Jerry Nadler endorses former aide Micah Lasher to be his successor
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., endorsed New York State Assemblyman Micah Lasher, his former longtime aide, in the crowded House primary to serve as the congressman’s successor in Manhattan’s deep blue district.
“I am proud and excited to support @micahlasher for Congress,” Nadler said in a message to X. “He will bring a sense of urgency, creativity and fearlessness to Washington.”
Lasher said in a message to X that “this endorsement means so much to me.”
“Jerry Nadler has set the bar incredibly high for decades for intelligent, principled, progressive leadership on issue after issue,” he continued. “I am honored beyond words to have his support.”
Lasher has received support from a number of New York politicians, including New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and state Sen. Brian Kavanagh, his website says.
Nadler’s endorsement sets up what is expected to be a duel of endorsements for two of the candidates in the crowded Democratic field, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., planning to support Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, in the primary, according to a source familiar with the matter.
In a supporting video, Nadler showcased Lasher’s credentials on issues including consumer protection, combating gun violence and investing in mental health care. Nadler also discussed Lasher’s ability to counter President Donald Trump’s agenda, saying the state Assemblyman “has emerged as New York’s protector-in-chief against all things Trump.”
“No other candidate in the race matches the depth and breadth of Micah’s record, not just on one issue, but on the many fronts where Democrats need to be stronger and smarter than ever,” Nadler said in the video.
In an interview with The New York Times, which was the first to report Nadler’s support, the congressman presented Schlossberg as a candidate without the experience necessary to be a member of Congress. George Conway, a conservative Trump critic whose ex-wife, Kellyanne Conway, was a top aide to Trump in his first administration, is running as a Democrat. Nadler told the New York Times that he didn’t believe New Yorkers would vote for a conservative.
Nadler announced in September that he would not seek re-election, ending his decades-long career as a Manhattan-area district representative.
