CNN
—
New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost the Democratic primary to Westchester County Mayor George Latimer, becoming the first member of the House’s progressive “Squad” to lose.
The result in New York’s 16th Congressional District was also a victory for pro-Israel groups, who backed Latimer with a record amount of money during the election, making it the most expensive House primary in history, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
Bowman, 48, a former Bronx middle school principal, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, defeating longtime pro-Israel Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel in a primary that, like this one, was centered on accusations that the incumbent was losing touch with his diverse but racially divided district, which spans the Bronx and Westchester County.
Latimer, 70, a figure in Democratic politics for decades who entered the race at the urging of pro-Israel groups, argued that Bowman’s vocal opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza and his combative political style were at odds with voters in Westchester, including its sizable Jewish population.
00:49 – Source: CNN
Watch Bowman and Latimer address supporters after the race
But a race that was widely expected to highlight cracks in the Democratic coalition over Israel and Gaza quickly turned into something much more difficult. National issues of race and class that have been obscured for years in a diverse but largely segregated district have combined to produce one of the ugliest Democratic primaries in years. Latimer argued that Bowman’s style of politics is unsuited and disproportionate to the district’s voters, noting that the incumbent’s “district is Dearborn, Michigan, a Midwestern city with a majority Arab American population,” and in an interview last week, he argued that Bowman enjoys a “clear ethnic advantage.” Bowman was the first Black person elected to represent a New York district.
Bowman had already come under fire for calling for a ceasefire days after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, but in mid-November he ruined any chance of reconciliation with liberal pro-Israel voters when, at a small rally of pro-Palestinian protesters, he called reports of sexual violence by Hamas “propaganda.” (Bowman later acknowledged the UN report and apologized.) In January, J Street, a liberal pro-Israel group that had previously supported Bowman, withdrew its support for him, citing “significant differences between us in framing and approach.”
Latimer celebrated his victory to supporters on Tuesday night in an apparent criticism of Bowman, telling them the result meant “we turn a new page and declare that we believe in including everyone in our representation.”
“We must fight to not denigrate one another, to remember that we are all Americans and that our common future is bound together,” Latimer added. “This country cannot afford to split into little pieces and all our representatives must understand the need for unity and move forward as a nation.”
Bowman acknowledged defeat at his campaign rally in Yonkers but said bigger fights lie ahead.
“We must never stop. This election is not just about me. It’s not just about this district, this neighborhood,” Bowman said. “It’s always been about all of us. Now, in this place, it may be my opponent, not our opponent, who wins this round. But this will be a fight for humanity and justice for the rest of our lives.”
By the final days of the campaign, progressives were committed to keeping Bowman in her seat amid an advertising offensive led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project. UDP spent about $15 million, while another outside group, Democratic Majority for Israel, poured in just over $1 million. A third PAC, cryptocurrency-related FairShake, also backed Latimer, spending more than $2 million.
Spending on behalf of Latimer outnumbered spending on behalf of Bowman by Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC by more than 7-to-1.
At a rally for Bowman in the South Bronx outside the district on Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that the results in the 16th District would have ripples across the country.
“This election is one of the most important in modern American history. It really is,” the Vermont independent said. “This election isn’t about Jamal versus Latimer. It’s about whether the billionaire class and oligarchs will control the United States government.”
Mark Mellman, a longtime political strategist and founder of the Democratic Majority for Israel, said the New York election will have an impact on future elections.
“Elections send messages, politicians always interpret elections, and I would say reporters interpret elections,” he said. “It’s important that this election sends the message that being pro-Israel is not only smart policy, it’s smart politics.”
But Mellman said his group had polls showing Bowman trailing Latimer by double digits before the TV barrage began, and he argued that the debate over Israel sometimes overshadows Bowman’s more fundamental issues.
“He and his words are divisive,” Mehlman said. “Whether it’s what he said at the rally the other day, or what he says about Israel in general, or what other issues he talks about, he’s very divisive.”
Bowman spoke before Sanders over the weekend, after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and began his remarks with a scathing critique targeting AIPAC.
“We’re going to show AIPAC the power of the f**king South Bronx,” Bowman said. “They ask me why I’m being foul-mouthed,” Bowman added, accusing opponents of attacking his family. “What am I supposed to do?”
Bowman appeared to be referring to that moment Tuesday night and the comments that his critics and rivals described as “divisive” rhetoric.
“I would like to publicly apologize for the occasional use of foul language,” Bowman said, “but we should not be conforming to a sick society.”
Progressive groups blasted Latimer late Tuesday after her victory was confirmed. Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, which recruited Bowman to run for president in 2020, called her “one of the most transformative leaders of our generation,” echoing Sanders’ comments days earlier.
“This fight over AIPAC, the largest outside group spender in the Democratic primary, has much bigger implications than the re-election of congressional representatives,” Rojas said in a statement. “It’s part of their final attempt to thwart the rise of a new generation of voters and leaders who refuse to be silent in the face of injustice, both at home and abroad.”
AIPAC’s political arm and its umbrella groups entered the primary season pledging to spend up to $100 million across the board against candidates critical of Israel’s war with Hamas, but until Tuesday their spending had failed to translate into results in any major elections.
Bowman, one of the first members of Congress to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, was already at odds with some in his district. His sometimes erratic behavior, such as pulling a fire alarm at the Capitol, had made him unpopular even among his liberal base. Latimer, popular with local establishment figures (including Hillary Clinton, who endorsed him), ran as a familiar face promising a more restrained approach to politics.
Latimer is considered a favorite to win the general election in the heavily Democratic district, where he would have outperformed Joe Biden by 45 points in 2020. Former Scarsdale Mayor Miriam Flisser ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
This story has been updated with additional reports.
