Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro endorses Evelyn Farkas

Obama administration official Evelyn Farkas received the backing of former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro on Monday in her bid to succeed longtime Rep. Nita Lowey in New York’s 17th congressional district.

Details: Farkas served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia until 2015 and was previously a staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She is one of 14 Democrats competing in the crowded June 23 primary. Other candidates include former NARAL chairwoman Allison Fine, former LA federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer, New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald, New York State Senator David Carlucci, Westchester County Board of Legislators member Catherine Parker, and Mondaire Jones, an attorney who served in the Justice Department under Obama. 

Take my word: Shapiro pointed to his work alongside Farkas in the Senate — he served as a staffer on the Foreign Relations Committee while she was working for the Armed Services Committee — and Farkas’s position as a senior national security staffer in the Obama administration. “Among many colleagues extraordinarily dedicated to serving the American public and keeping our nation safe, Evelyn stood out as a principled patriot — someone who would stand up for the truth no matter the cost,” Shapiro said. “Now she has risen to the new challenges we face. From helping to expose Trump’s corruption to her refusal to be silenced by attacks from the right-wing news media, Evelyn continues to prove that she has the grit, the heart, and the experience to lead.” 

Farkas said in a statement, “It has been an honor to work alongside Dan in service to our nation, building a robust U.S.-Israel relationship, keeping Americans safe and defending democracy. I am proud to have the support of such a committed advocate for the United States, and the Jewish people, on this campaign.”

List of endorsements: Farkas has already garnered a number of noteworthy endorsements from the likes of former Secretary of State John Kerry, Florida Senator Bob Graham, former Michigan Senator Carl Levin and New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski. Last month, former Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) announced his endorsement of Adam Schleifer.