New York: Foremr New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang has endorsed Indian American lawyer and businessman Suraj Patel in his third bid for US House from New York’s 12th Congressional District.
Former Obama administration staffer, Patel is challenging Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler. He lost to fellow Democrat Maloney in his two previous bids.
Patel, a 36-year-old lawyer and business ethics professor, at New York University, lost to Maloney by less than four points in 2020 after trailing her by 20 points in 2018.
Yang, who had an unsuccessful bid for New York City mayor in 2021 and ran for president in 2020, last week pledged to help Patel win saying he represents part of the next generation of leaders.
“Suraj Patel represents a new generation of empathetic leadership and has the energy and ideas to bring change to Washington,” he wrote. “As the only change candidate in this race, Suraj has helped run a business, has stood up for democracy and will bring energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to Washington at a time when we desperately need it.”
“I am proud to endorse Suraj because he’s an innovator, an empath, and a proud son of immigrants. He is exactly what we need in a new generation of leadership to move us from the staleness of politics as usual,” Yang added.
“I’m thrilled to be endorsed by @AndrewYang whose Presidential campaign underscored the need for Asian American representation,” Patel tweeted.
“This is a change election, everywhere I go, people are tired of the status quo and we need a new generation of leaders who engage the disengaged,” he wrote.
The primary is set to take place in August.
