Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been officially endorsed by President Barack Obama as she tries to stave off a primary challenge to her House seat, with Obama labeling her "a strong, progressive leader" who has a proven history of "passionately supporting middle class families."
Florida Democratic primary challenger Tim Canova is running on many of the issues that have fueled Sen. Bernie Sanders in his race against party presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, the
Tampa Bay Times reports, focusing on big money in politics and Wall Street influence.
He has slammed Wasserman Schultz for supporting a bill that critics say weakens scrutiny of payday lenders,
the Times reports.
Obama acknowledged the Sanders-like spirit of Canova's campaign in his endorsement of the five-term incumbent, saying Wasserman Schultz is "a strong, progressive leader in Congress and a hardworking, committed Chair of our national Party since I proudly nominated her to the role in 2011."
The Times reports Obama added that Wasserman Schultz "always stands up and fights for what is right for her district while passionately supporting middle class families. Throughout my time as President I have seen Debbie bring an unwavering commitment to her family, her constituents, and our shared goals of protecting seniors, supporting working families, and expanding economic opportunity for more people."
Wasserman Schultz has been
heavily criticized over her tenure as DNC chair.
In December, the Sanders campaign filed a federal complaint against the DNC for suspending its access to a shared voter database, with campaign manager Jeff Weaver saying "the leadership of the Democratic National Committee is now actively attempting to undermine our campaign."
In September, Wasserman Schultz was accused of showing favoritism to Clinton by scheduling only six debates for Democrat contenders at a time when Clinton was the clear front-runner in the race.
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