Democrat George Latimer has defeated incumbent progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
Bowman is the first ‘Squad’ member to be fired, leaving the future of the hardcore progressive faction on shaky ground.
Latimer is a former state lawmaker and has served as Westchester County Executive since 2018. He is the favorite to win in the Democratic stronghold in November.
Bowman’s loss does not bode well for anti-Israel voices in Congress. His district is part affluent, white and Jewish voters in Westchester and part black and brown voters in the Bronx.
Bowman was among the first to call for a ceasefire and has flirted with conspiracies about Israel, prompting some within his own party to accuse him of anti-Semitism.
‘Jamaal Bowman has to pull the fire alarm again, because he is getting smoked [Latimer] today,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, wrote on X.
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as New York voters head to the polls for the Democratic primary. He campaigned Monday with fellow squad members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley in Mount Vernon
“The message is clear: Anti-Semitism in any form will not be tolerated in New York. And you can’t call yourself a progressive without making progress.”
The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has poured $15 million into the campaign against Bowman.
“We’re gonna show goddamn AIPAC, the power of the goddamn South Bronx!” Bowman shouted Saturday during a meeting with fellow progressive “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
The former director who once pulled the fire alarm at the Capitol during votes has lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., came out Monday to back Latimer.
Bowman is the first ‘Squad’ member to be fired, leaving the future of the hardcore progressive faction on shaky ground
In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is Black, went after Latimer over his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he had taken a slow approach to desegregation as Westchester County executive.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also jumped into the race alongside Latimer — as has former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., a progressive and fellow member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Jones was annoyed with Bowman for his criticism of Israel. He is expected to win a Democratic nomination
In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is Black, went after Latimer over his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he had taken a slow approach to desegregation as Westchester County executive.
“He claims to be a Democrat, but he is supported by racist MAGA Republicans who support taking away your right to vote – undermining your abortion rights,” Bowman said.
“This is an example of using race as a weapon,” Latimer responded. “What we need to do is bring people together.”
Last week, Bowman came under fire for a new report claiming he asked a Jewish leader to send him photos of them together to prove he had Jewish friends.
A private text between Bowman and an unidentified Jewish leader from around the time Bowman first ran for re-election in 2022 was published by Jewish insider on Tuesday.
“Do you have pictures of us? So I can show the world that I am friends with the Jewish people,” Bowman wrote, according to the report.
The leader did have a photo with Bowman, but did not share it with the congressman.
“I felt uncomfortable,” the Jewish leader said of the uncomfortable message. “I kind of joked with him about it. I said, ‘Oh, I’m sure you guys have it. Don’t worry about it.’
“I was like, ‘I don’t want to be his court Jew,’” he said. “I didn’t sign up for that.”