"He's never done that": Jeffries stuns colleagues by withholding Wasserman Schultz endorsement

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday he has not yet decided whether to support Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-Fla.) reelection amid anger over her decision to run in a majority-minority district. Why it matters: Jeffries is known for uniformly backing even his most polarizing members . This rare deviation stunned some of his colleagues. "He's never done that," one senior House Democrat told Axios. "He supports incumbents." Jeffries himself declared Tuesday in response to a different question: "I stand behind every single House Democratic incumbent." Wasserman Schultz, a member of Jeffries' leadership team, has stoked the anger of Black Democrats by running in a plurality Black district. "People are pissed off," a second senior House Democrat told Axios. Driving the news: "Haven't made a decision as it relates to that particular race," Jeffries said at a press conference when asked whether he is supporting Wasserman Schultz for reelection. "Everybody has a right to run where they see fit, they've got to go make their case to the people that they hope to represent moving forward, and that's what I communicated directly to Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz," he added. Jeffries touted Wasserman Schultz's "strong track record of accomplishment" but said "at the same period of time, I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on black political representation." "It's an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to as we move forward." Between the lines: Jeffries didn't fully close the door on endorsing Wasserman Schultz, and there is still plenty of time before the state's August 18 primary for him to endorse her. There are also 10 days until the state's congressional filing deadline, which means the district's primary field is not yet set in stone. Still, Wasserman Schultz has faced condemnation from state and local Black elected officials for runni...

Original source: Axios