Ward 2 D.C. Councilman Jack Evans said Monday he is again backing Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, one day after he threw his support to Sen. Barack Obama.
“I’m a pledged delegate for Hillary Clinton and I will vote for her at the convention,” said Evans, who is in Las Vegas for a retailer’s conference.
Recommended Stories
Evans, a member of Clinton’s D.C. steering committee, was elected only two weeks ago by his fellow District Democrats to serve as a pledged Clinton delegate at the party’s convention. But Saturday, as he launched his re-election campaign, the councilman revealed a new direction, citing Obama’s momentumand overwhelming support among city voters.
He made the announcement flanked by Mayor Adrian Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent Gray, both Obama supporters.
The flip drew angry responses from Clinton backers. In an e-mail to Evans sent late Sunday, Lynn Hackney, president of EYA Urban Properties, described the switch as “sleazy” and “disloyal,” and promised consequences “UNLESS you issue a retraction immediately!”
“I am one of your voters in ward 2 and a previous supporter and trust when I tell you I will go out of my way to campaign and contribute to your opponent in your next election based on what you have done to Hillary,” Hackney wrote.
Evans reiterated his commitment to the Clinton campaign in a written response.
“But it really looks like sen obama [sic] will be our nominee and we need to get him elected. I hope you agree,” he said.
Obama won 63 percent of the Ward 2 vote in the Feb. 12 D.C. primary, and 75 percent citywide.
“People were apoplectic at Evans’ endorsement of Obama just two weeks after pledging to support Clinton so he could secure a seat as a delegate,” said Peter Rosenstein, D.C. activist and Clinton supporter. “I will enthusiastically support the nominee of the Democratic Party, but I think anyone will have trouble ever trusting Evans again.”
Evans isn’t the first council member to flip from Clinton to Obama. Ward 5’s Harry Thomas Jr., a superdelegate, shifted camps last month.
