- A New York progressive finds himself in hot water ahead of his upcoming primary
- The former foreign minister appears to be in favor of his impeachment
Hillary Clinton has taken a rare step by endorsing the main opponent of an incumbent Democrat in the New York House of Representatives.
The former secretary of state and former senator from New York endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the congressional seat currently held by Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” Clinton wrote on X on Wednesday.
“In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda – just as he always has. Make a plan to vote before June 25!” she added.
Clinton’s endorsement of Latimer is a de facto stand against Bowman’s continued career in the House of Representatives.
Hillary Clinton endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer in his primary against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman
Bowman (pictured) is likely troubled by recent polls suggesting 70-year-old Latimer could walk away with a landslide victory over the incumbent president
Bowman, who is vying for his third term in Congress, is a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called “Squad,” which has drawn criticism from his own party and elsewhere for its continued criticism of Israel in the aftermath of October. 7.
His primary against Latimer is one of the most competitive races in the House of Representatives and is being closely watched by Democrats and Republicans.
His seat – New York’s 16th Congressional District – covers half of Westchester County and a small portion of the Bronx. The area is deep blue, meaning whoever emerges victorious from the Democratic primary will almost certainly go to Congress.
Reacting to the 2016 presidential candidate’s endorsement, Latimer said, “I am honored to have the support of Hillary Clinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration,” and noted that early voting begins this weekend.
Bowman, whose district has a large Jewish constituency, has arguably alienated significant numbers of his voters by taking a fervently anti-Israel stance and repeatedly taking digs in the months since the war broke out.
“He has gone so far that even the left-wing Israeli advocacy group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman in January, complaining that he had crossed a line by placing too much of the blame for the conflict on Israel and not Hamas,” he wrote. CNN’s Manu Raju last month.
While Latimer has defended Israel as the war caused by Hamas’ terrorism continues, Bowman, 48, was quick to label Israel an “apartheid state” in the weeks after the attack.
He was also one of the early proponents of the narrative that claims rapes of Israeli women and murders of children are “lies.” He later walked back some of those comments.
For these and other reasons, Bowman has seen a decline in support from members of his own party — the most recent example being Clinton’s emphatic support of Latimer.
While Latimer (pictured) has defended Israel as the war caused by Hamas terrorism continues, 48-year-old Bowman was quick to label Israel an “apartheid state” in the weeks after the attack.
Recent opinion polls show that 70-year-old Latimer may walk away with a landslide victory over the incumbent party.
Late last year, Bowman was also censured by the Republican-led House after pulling a fire alarm in what appeared to be an attempt to disrupt a vote.
The congressman claims he ‘accidentally’ sounded the alarm while he was on his way to the House to vote. But security footage clearly shows the lawmaker removed warning signs on a blocked exit door before opening it and ultimately raising the alarm.
The warning signs stated that an alarm would sound when the doors were opened.