Clinton tells Democrats she’ll play an active role in midterm races this year

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told New York Democrats she plans to provide significant help to party lawmakers ahead of the midterm elections.

Appearing before the New York Democratic Nominating Convention in New York City on Thursday, Mrs. Clinton delivered a broadside against Republicans and the GOP agenda, which she said does little to support working families and must be defeated in the elections.

“That’s why I intend to work my heart out to elect Democrats up and down the ticket this November,” Mrs. Clinton said.

She delivered the speech amid speculation she may be considering a political comeback. It also followed new allegations made in a federal court filing that her 2016 campaign paid for high-tech spying on former President Donald Trump’s email.

Mrs. Clinton, who has denied the spying claim, praised the lineup of New York Democratic officials but hinted at a broader concern. 

“We need smart, effective, principled leadership now more than ever, not only in our state, but also in our country,” Mrs. Clinton said.

House and Senate Democrats are bracing for a Republican wave in November as voters show frustration with how the party and President Biden have handled the economy and the pandemic. 

Mrs. Clinton has been identified by some as the only candidate who could successfully fill the void and run for the White House in 2024 if President Biden, 79, does not run for a second term. 

Mrs. Clinton, 74, used much of the speech to tear down the GOP, accusing Republicans of “defending” the Jan. 6 rioters and cited a Republican National Committee censure of two GOP lawmakers who serve on the panel investigating the attack. 

She said the party is working to undermine voting rights by refusing to back a Democrat-written election overhaul measure that would roll back red-state voter integrity laws. 

“I know many of us hoped that defeating Trump would start to heal our divisions, that just maybe the madness would break,” Mrs. Clinton said. “But now it should be clear to all of us that the struggle for unity and democracy is far from over.”