U.S. President Joe Biden has made just two endorsements in Democratic primary races for House seats this year, drawing a contrast with his predecessor while showing limited influence with his party’s voters.
One of Biden’s picks, incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown, handily defeated a more liberal challenger in a Cleveland, Ohio, district. The other, seven-term Rep. Kurt Schrader of Oregon, looks likely to lose to a progressive challenger.
The president backed Brown because she supported his agenda in Congress, according to a Biden adviser who asked not to be identified describing internal strategy. Her opponent, Nina Turner, said in 2020 that voting for Biden was like eating a "bowl of s---.”