Joe Biden urges NY rabbi to back Sean Patrick Maloney

In the latest sign of trouble for the Democratic Party in the midterm elections, President Biden called a prominent Hudson Valley rabbi to urge that he back the re-election of embattled Democrat incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

Maloney, who is chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a pal of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is locked in what has turned into a toss-up race with Republican challenger Mike Lawler, a state assemblyman.

“You will have an open door to my administration,” Biden reportedly told Rabbi David Twersky in the 15-minute phone call, according to Rocklanddaily.com and confirmed by Jacob Kornbluh of the Forward.

Twersky is the chief rabbi for the Hasidic sect in New Square located in the 17th Congressional District. 

“You don’t have the President of the United States call someone for support unless you’re in trouble in a political campaign. Sean Patrick Maloney and the Democrats are in real trouble in that part of the state,” said veteran political strategist Hank Sheinkopf.

“If you’re up by 10 points, you don’t ask the president for help.”

Sheinkopf said Twersky is revered among the Hasidic residents of New Square and they will vote for a candidate as a bloc if he recommends they do so.

Maloney’s campaign had no immediate comment for The Post and neither did the White House.

Biden also recently stumped in Poughkeepsie to promote economic development, where he was joined by Maloney and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who also is facing a surprisingly competitive contest from Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, the Long Island congressman.

The president will be upstate again, in the Syracuse region Thursday to promote chip maker Micron’s massive new manufacturing plant.

Hochul on Sunday also met with ultra-religious Jewish leaders in Rockland County, as she fights for the conservative ultra-orthodox Jewish vote with a surging Zeldin, who is Jewish.

She met privately with Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, the leader of Satmar sect and held other meetings, including one at the home of billionaire real estate mogul David Lichtenstein, an attendee said.

One source said Hochul pledged support for Jewish education — the yeshivas — and vowed to help address complaints at Maimonides hospital in southern Brooklyn.