CNN commentator David Axelrod and former White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton questioned Tuesday evening the tactics used by progressive members of the Democrat Party following incumbent New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary loss.
Axelrod and Burton both appeared on “CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip” to discuss the first loss to New York’s progressive “squad,” as Bowman was defeated Tuesday by Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the state’s 16th Congressional District. As CNN host Abby Phillip called out Bowman’s loss and heavily blamed it on his stance over the Israel-Palestine conflict, she asked Axelrod his thoughts on the new change within the New York district. (RELATED: ‘Squad’ Member Who Pulled Capitol Fire Alarm Loses To Primary Challenger)
“Look, I think that there‘s no denying that this was at the center of the race. But Jamaal Bowman had other problems as well that we shouldn‘t ignore — maybe best characterized or symbolized by his decision to pull a fire alarm in the middle of a vote that stop[ped] a vote in Congress for which he was cited. So he had issues. This is, in the main, a more center-left district, and he got elected in the George Floyd year,” Axelrod said.
“But I think this is part, we should — just a couple of, a couple of weeks ago, there were primaries in Oregon and in Portland where you saw two progressive candidates lose to center left candidates. So the question isn‘t just about Israel, which is obviously a divisive issue within the Democratic Party between the progressive contingent and other Democrats, but also whether there is a general moving more to the center among Democratic primary voters know what do you think about that?”
During a primary election within May, Oregon progressive congressional candidates Susheela Jayapal and Jamie McLeod-Skinner were unsuccessful at claiming a spot for the Democratic Party’s general election this year. While Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal suggested that the losses be blamed on funding, Jayapal also called out how the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) did not endorse either candidate, according to Yahoo News.
Phillip then continued to Burton, asking for his thoughts regarding the loss and comments from Axelrod.
“Well, I think that Bowman ran a campaign that was true to who he is as a progressive. He brought out AOC and Bernie Sanders. He had some high-profile interviews included on the ‘Breakfast Club’ with Charlamagne tha God. But to David‘s point, that‘s just not where this district was. This district is a center-left district and I think that if you spend $20 million against someone whose politics don’t totally match up with where the district is, you just don’t have a shot,” Burton said.
Over the weekend, just days before the primary election, Bowman received backlash online and from fellow lawmakers after using profane language while calling for a Gaza ceasefire at his rally in the Bronx. As Latimer has openly supported Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) helped funnel nearly $15 million into the newcomer’s campaign against Bowman, making it one of the most expensive House primary races for Democrats.
