Biden Makes First Endorsement of 2022 Election Cycle

President Joe Biden entered the midterm election arena, offering his first endorsement of the 2022 cycle over the weekend.

The president endorsed Rep. Kurt Schrader less than one month before the Oregon Democrat’s primary contest, putting him at odds with some high-profile figures in the party who chose to back liberal challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner. The White House previously indicated Biden wouldn’t weigh in on too many midterm election races, and Schrader has opposed important pieces of the president’s agenda.

“We don’t always agree, but when it has mattered most, Kurt has been there for me,” the president said in a statement released by Schrader’s campaign on Saturday. “And in doing so, he has helped to pass much of my agenda into law — making a huge difference in the lives of the Oregonians he represents and all of America.”

HOUSE REPUBLICAN FRESHMAN LAWMAKER FROM UTAH NEARLY LOSES RENOMINATION

Schrader, who has represented Oregon’s 5th Congressional District since 2009, is set to face McLeod-Skinner, who has received the support of top Democratic figures and groups such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the Working Families Party who are seeking to oust the centrist incumbent.

Schrader has long flown under the radar in terms of national politics. But in recent years, Schrader has provoked ire from far-left Democrats after he compared the second round of impeachment proceedings of former President Donald Trump to a “lynching.” Schrader has also butted heads with Democrats on key votes promoting Biden’s agenda, with the Oregonian opposing a $15 federal minimum wage and initially voting against the American Rescue Plan.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

However, Biden overlooked those anomalies, albeit on high-profile votes, to praise Schrader.

Schrader and McLeod-Skinner are set to face off in the Democratic primary on May 17, as both centrist and liberal Democrats argue their preferred candidate is needed to defend the seat. Although the district is likely to lean Democratic, newly drawn redistricting maps in Oregon have made the seat slightly more competitive in the blue state.