Scott Powers
National progressive civil rights leader Cornell West has endorsed Fatima Rita Fahmy in Florida’s Orlando-based Congressional District 10 race, her campaign announced Friday.
West made the endorsement at the Democratic National Committee’s platform meeting in Orlando.
West, a professor of philosophy and Christian practice, is also known for his firebrand Democratic socialist politics, and was an early backer of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential race.
“Dr. Cornel West has been a strong progressive voice for social justice and equality and I am honored to have his support for my campaign,” Fahmy stated in an email to FloridaPolitics.com.
Fahmy, an Orlando lawyer, is in a four-way primary for the CD 10 seat, which represents west Orange County. The other Democrats in the Aug. 30 primary are former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, state Sen. Geraldine Thompson and businessman and former Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe.
The winner will face Republican nominee Thuy Lowe in the November general election. They all seek to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, who chose not to run in CD 10 after it was redrawn to become a heavily Democratic district with a large percentage of African American and Latino voters.
