Montoya leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"The White House has already called me three times. The President is extremely anxious. This bill is the core achievement for his midterm elections. If the bill dies in the House of Representatives, killed by our own infighting, the President will kill us."
"To jeopardize the entire party's midterm election prospects over a mayoral primary in Pittsburgh... it's not worth it."
Walker fell silent.
He took a harsh drag from his cigar, the thick smoke obscuring his expression.
Of course, he knew it wasn't worth it.
But he couldn't just let it go.
"So we just let him win like that?" Walker retorted. "That kid, Wallace... if we let him win the primary, it sends a signal to all the progressives across the country."
"It encourages more 'Leo Wallaces' to stand up, challenge our people, and seize our territory."
"When that happens, our situation in the swing states will spiral even more out of control."
Montoya nodded.
