Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost his primary bid in New York’s 16th Congressional District on Tuesday against Westchester County Executive George Latimer, according to The Associated Press.
Bowman, who has served in Congress since 2021, lost to Latimer, who has received support from The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the AP projected. After many scandals and controversies, Bowman is the first member of the progressive “squad” to have been successfully toppled by a moderate challenger. (RELATED: ‘Show Them Who The F*ck We Are!’: Squad Dem Goes On Tirade Calling For Gaza Ceasefire At Campaign Rally)
“Jamaal Bowman ain’t going nowhere” Bowman told a crowd of supporters following his defeat on Tuesday, according to The New York Times. “Let’s start winning big.”
“You do not need a campaign ad to tell you who George Latimer is; you have seen who I am,” Latimer said in his victory speech on Tuesday, The New York Times reported. “I have never seen an election as a blank check. It is a promissory note from me to you.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 22: U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) attend a rally at St. Mary’s Park on June 22, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Bowman’s loss came after multiple scandals and dismal poll numbers that put the incumbent at a 17 point disadvantage to Latimer, according to a recent Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll. Most recently, Bowman faced backlash for his messaging around the Israel-Palestinian conflict and for criticizing pro-Israeli lobbyists like AIPAC.
At a Nov. 17 rally, Bowman said that the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was propagandized while speaking to a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters, according to a TikTok video. “There’s still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women. But they still keep using that [lie] for propaganda.” He later walked back these comments and apologized. (RELATED: Jamaal Bowman Apparently Asked Jewish Leader For Photo Together To Prove He’s Not Antisemitic)
At a rally on Saturday, Bowman continued his criticisms of Israeli lobbyists, shouting, “We are gonna fucking show AIPAC the power of the mother fucking South Bronx.” Bowman’s rally was held in the southern Bronx, but it is notably not part of his district.
Jamaal Bowman should pull the fire alarm again because he is going to be smoked by @LatimerforNY today.
The message is clear: anti-semitism in any and all forms will not be tolerated in New York. And you can’t call yourself a progressive without making progress.
Vote! 🗳️
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) June 25, 2024
Latimer, however, has supported Israel in its ongoing war agains Hamas, and has also accepted millions in campaign donations from AIPAC.
AIPAC funneled nearly $15 million against Bowman through one of its affiliate organizations, the United Democracy Project, according to The New York Times. Bowman’s race has since become the most expensive House primary race in history, with a price tag of roughly $25 million, according to Punchbowl News.
Bowman’s reelection effort has also been spent campaigning with Democratic allies Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. During a rally with Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman yelled “Ceasefire now, let’s get it poppin’,” and said his race is about “the many versus the money.”
“We’re gonna win, we’re gonna take on AIPAC, and we’re gonna kick some Wall Street ass,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the rally video.
AOC and Jaamal Bowman exhibit bizarre behavior as Bowman campaigns for reelection in the Bronx.
“Ceasefire now y’all. That’s what we’re doing. Ceasefire now. Let’s get it poppin.” pic.twitter.com/NzNOf1d6GM
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 22, 2024
Bowman was embroiled in a scandal after he pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building during a House vote on a GOP spending package on Sept. 30, 2023. Security footage showed Bowman taking signs off of the door and pulling the fire alarm without first attempting to open the doors.
Bowman initially denied intentionally pulling the alarm, saying he mistakenly pulled the alarm thinking it would open the locked doors.
BREAKING: The video of Jamaal Bowman pulling the fire alarm to stop a vote has been released.
In his initial statement, Bowman claimed that he was rushing to get to a vote and did it by accident.
The video shows him removing the warning signs and not even attempting to open the… pic.twitter.com/IGzmZo72xp
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 26, 2023
“Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open,” Bowman said in a statement on Sept. 30. “I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused. But I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote.”
Following the incident, Bowman pled guilty and was charged with a misdemeanor. He was later censured by the House. Democratic Reps. and “squad” members Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan voted against his censure in December 2023.
Missouri Democratic Rep. and “squad” member Cori Bush is also facing a tough primary challenge in August due in part to her anti-Israel stances, with AIPAC spending at least $1.5 million against her to date, according to The New York Times. Bush is trailing by 22 points in a three-way race with challengers Wesley Bell and Missouri state Sen. Maria Chapelle-Nadal, according to a Remington Research Group poll in February.
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