President Joe Biden called a Hasidic rebbe Tuesday, two weeks ahead of this year’s midterm elections, urging the rabbi to endorse Democratic candidates.
Biden spoke with Rabbi David Twersky, the 81-year-old scion of the Skver Hasidic dynasty, for fifteen minutes Tuesday afternoon, with the president asking the Skverer Rebbe to encourage his followers to back Democrats in the midterm elections.
In particular, Biden asked Rabbi Twersky to endorse Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, the first openly gay man elected to the House of Representatives from New York.
Maloney, who represents New York’s 18th district, is chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Polls currently show Maloney trailing his Republican challenger, Assemblyman Mike Lawler.
The 18th district is ranked by the Cook Partisan Voter Index as having a one-point Republican lean. Donald Trump won the district in 2016, 49.0% to 47.1%, but lost it to Biden in 2020 by five points.
While Rabbi Twersky resides in New Square, a heavily Hasidic enclave in Rockland County, some of his followers living in neighboring counties included in the 18th district.
During the call, President Biden offered his assistance in the future.
“You will have an open door to my administration,” Rockland Daily quoted Biden as telling the rabbi.