Turning into a Dem on Dem contest.

Via The Hill

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host a fundraiser for Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), a major money boost for the freshman lawmaker who is facing a tough primary.

Bloomberg, who just left the top job in New York City, will headline Thursday’s event in Hawaii.

The event will help Schatz bolster his fundraising edge but could hurt his efforts to paint himself as the more liberal candidate in the race given Bloomberg’s status as Republican turned Independent.

Schatz’s primary opponent, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), is attacking him for the $1,000 per person fundraiser, blasting Bloomberg’s record as mayor.

“Bloomberg spent a lot of his time in New York making bad decisions for working families, and balancing the budget by pushing cuts to programs for children, education, benefits and pensions,” her campaign says in a fundraising email. “He was on the wrong side of every issue that affect people who work and sacrifice for every dollar while worrying about their future. The very issues that we know are so important to so many families in Hawaii.”

Schatz has the backing of the Progressive Campaign Change Committee, a group that backs more liberal candidates in primaries, as well as from liberal favorites like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). He’s made Social Security expansion a cornerstone of his campaign.

Schatz’s campaign touted Bloomberg’s work for gun control and climate change legislation.