Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman became the first member of The Squad to be ousted from Congress after a landslide defeat in his New York primary.
Support from fellow progressive Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez couldn’t save Bowman, who pulled the fire alarm, as her opponent George Latimer, 70, scored a convincing victory Tuesday night.
Their rally in the Bronx this weekend, which was mocked for their WWE entrances and crude F-bomb-filled speeches, appeared to be the final nail in the coffin for Bowman’s bid for a third term.
The vote in New York’s 16th Congressional District was the most expensive primary in history – with the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee investing $15 million in a campaign against Bowman.
Bowman was targeted due to his anti-Israel views and strong support for the Palestinians following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
He was one of the first to call for a ceasefire and flirted with conspiracies about Israel, prompting some in his own party to accuse him of anti-Semitism.
Nor would voters have forgotten that he pleaded guilty to pulling a fire alarm in Congress because he was late to vote.
The future of the hardline progressive team is now fragile, and Bowman’s performance does not bode well for Democrats who publicly oppose Israel.
Latimer is a former state lawmaker who has served as Westchester County executive since 2018. He is the favorite to win in November in the Democratic stronghold.
Bowman’s district is partly wealthy, with white and Jewish voters in Westchester and partly black and brown voters in the Bronx.
“Jamaal Bowman should pull the fire alarm again because he’s going to get smoked by (Latimer) today,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, wrote on X.
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as voters head to the polls in New York for the Democratic primary. He campaigned with fellow Squad members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley in Mount Vernon on Monday
“The message is clear: anti-Semitism in all its forms will not be tolerated in New York. And you can’t call yourself progressive without making progress.
“We’re going to show the fucking AIPAC, the power of the fucking South Bronx!” Bowman shouted Saturday at a rally with progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the “Squad,” and democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
The former manager who once pulled the Capitol fire alarm during votes has lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., came out in favor of Latimer on Monday.
Bowman is the first member of the “Squad” to be removed from his position, putting the future of the hardcore progressive faction in jeopardy.
In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is black, attacked Latimer for his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he slowed desegregation as county executive from Westchester.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., declared “good riddance” to Bowman’s defeat on X.
“From his juvenile antics to his vile anti-Semitism to his profanity-laced tirades to his support for open borders and defunding the police, Jamaal Bowman has been a disgrace to his party, his district and our state. Good riddance. »
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., shared a clip of a heated exchange he had with Bowman on the House floor over gun control last year.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also entered the race alongside Latimer, as did former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., a progressive and member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Jones became embittered against Bowman over his criticism of Israel. He is expected to win a nomination to take on Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in the fall.
In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is black, attacked Latimer for his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he had made slow progress on desegregation as director of Westchester County.
“He claims to be a Democrat, but he is supported by racist MAGA Republicans who support taking away your right to vote, thereby gutting your right to abortion,” Bowman said.
“This is an example of using race as a weapon,” Latimer countered. “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 dating back to Bowman’s first bid for re-election in 2022 was published Tuesday by Jewish Insider.
“Do you have any photos of us?” This way I can show the world that I am friends with Jews,” Bowman wrote, according to the report.
The leader had a photo with Bowman, but did not share it with the congressman.
“I was uncomfortable,” the Jewish leader said of the awkward message. “I kind of joked with him about it. I said, ‘Oh, I’m sure you have it. Don’t worry about it.’”
“I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to be his court Jew,’” he said. “That’s not what I signed up for.”
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