Vulnerable House Dem ignores questions on endorsing VP Harris for president
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez remained silent when asked whether she supports Harris for president and whether Harris has done a good job as ‘border czar’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats facing re-election in November, ignored questions on Wednesday on whether she supports Vice President Kamala Harris for president and her campaign told Fox News Digital she has “no plans” to endorse the vice president.
“Do you endorse Kamala Harris for president,” Gluesenkamp Perez is asked as she walked down the street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Gluesenkamp Perez, who has not publicly endorsed Harris, continued walking without responding.
The congresswoman was asked several more times whether she endorses Harris, particularly since Gluesenkamp Perez is a DNC delegate, but a response was not provided, and she continued on her way.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has declined to answer whether she supports VP Kamala Harris for president (Getty Images)
A spokesperson for the Gluesenkamp Perez campaign told Fox News Digital on Thursday that she has “no plans” to endorse Harris.
Gluesenkamp Perez was also asked on the street whether Harris has done a “good job” on illegal immigration as President Biden’s “border czar.” The congresswoman did not respond.
SIX HOUSE DEMS VOTE WITH GOP TO CONDEMN KAMALA HARRIS FOR ‘BORDER CZAR’ ROLE
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) poses for portraits on Capitol Hill on Thursday, July 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
On Thursday, Gluesenkamp Perez did seem to answer the question about Harris’ role at the border by becoming one of only 6 Democrats to vote in the House to condemn handling of the U.S.’ southern border, the first piece of legislation targeting Harris since she became the Democrats’ presumptive 2024 nominee.
A spokesperson for Gluesenkamp Perez’s campaign told Fox News Digital that her vote was “a clear statement of her opinion on that matter.”
Gluesenkamp Perez’s decision to not respond to questions about Harris’ record on the border makes her at least the third member of the House to ignore that question this week. Democratic Reps. Emilia Sykes and Vicente Gonzalez have both ignored questions on the subject.
“Extreme Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s silence speaks volumes,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen told Fox News Digital.
“Perez’s callous dismissal of the border crisis and dodging on Kamala Harris’s performance as border czar prove she’s more interested in bending the knee to her Democrat Party bosses than protecting her district from the fentanyl epidemic ravaging southwest Washington.”
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her Presidential Campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS)
Gluesenkamp Perez is one of only a few Washington Democrats yet to endorse Harris, The Daily Chronicle reported, although she has weighed in on the vice presidential race, telling Politico that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would be her choice.
Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in the southwest part of the state bordering Portland, Oregon, is widely viewed as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House after winning her 2022 race by less than 2 points.
The Cook Political Report ranks her race a “Democrat toss up.”
Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
