What to Know About Jamaal Bowman’s Bitter Democratic Primary Race
Mr. Bowman faces George Latimer in a House primary in New York that will test the party’s views on Israel and the strength of its left-wing faction.
Supported byWhat to Know About Jamaal Bowman’s Bitter Democratic Primary RaceMr. Bowman faces George Latimer in a House primary in New York that will test the party’s views on Israel and the strength of its left-wing faction.ByClaire FahyWhen Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York won a Democratic primary in 2020 as an untested middle-school principal, his upset was heralded asevidence of the left’s ascent.Four years later, Mr. Bowman is now the one fighting for his political life, battling to turn back a primary challenge from George Latimer, the Westchester County executive heavily backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.The results of Tuesday’s contest in the 16th Congressional District, which covers parts of Westchester County and the Bronx, may test the durability of the Democratic Party’s progressive faction: If Mr. Bowman was to lose, he would be the first member of the House’s left-wing “squad” to be unseated.With Mr. Bowman trailing in the polls, some of the left’s biggest luminaries have come to his defense, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who joined Mr. Bowman at rallies over the weekend.But their late-stage support has been countered by a fusillade of political advertising on behalf of Mr. Latimer. In barely a month, an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC has spent $14.5 million — up to $17,000 an hour — on the race.Here’s what to know.Who is Jamaal Bowman?Jamaal Bowman was elected to the House during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, after his primary upset of Eliot L. Engel, a16-year incumbentbacked by Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Andrew M. Cuomo, then the governor of New York.
[{"title": "Jamaal Bowman's Bitter Democratic Primary Race", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/nyregion/bowman-latimer-primary.html"}, {"title": "Why the Bitter Democratic Primary Between Bowman and ...", "link": "https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-06-24/why-the-democratic-primary-race-between-jamaal-bowman-and-george-latimer-matters"}, {"title": "Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a vocal Israel critic and 'squad' ...", "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jamaal-bowman-george-latimer-ny-house-primary-results-rcna158487"}, {"title": "Bitter, expensive Bowman-Latimer primary highlights ...", "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/24/bowman-latimer-primary-israel-race/"}, {"title": "Jamaal Bowman loses most expensive primary race ever", "link": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz99x0w65dyo"}, {"title": "Rep. Jamaal Bowman fights for political survival in race ...", "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jamaal-bowman-primary-political-survival-democratic-divisions-rcna158398"}, {"title": "Jamaal Bowman falls in blow to Squad", "link": "https://punchbowl.news/article/election-2024/jamaal-bowman-loses-to-george-latimer/"}, {"title": "Jamaal Bowman Defeated in Primary - Bloomberg Government", "link": "https://about.bgov.com/news/jamaal-bowman-defeated-in-primary-what-to-know-in-washington/"}, {"title": "George Latimer Defeats Jamaal Bowman in Bitter NY ...", "link": "https://www.jewishexponent.com/george-latimer-defeats-jamaal-bowman-in-bitter-ny-primary-fought-over-israel/"}, {"title": "What to Know About Jamaal Bowman's Bitter Democratic ...", "link": "https://talkofthesound.com/2024/06/24/what-to-know-about-jamaal-bowmans-bitter-democratic-primary-race/"}, {"title": "Latimer ousts 'Squad' member Bowman in Democratic ...", "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/25/latimer-ousts-squad-member-bowman-democratic-primary-new-york/"}, {"title": "George Latimer defeats Jamaal Bowman in bitter NY ...", "link": "https://forward.com/fast-forward/627367/george-latimer-defeats-jamaal-bowman-in-bitter-ny-primary-fought-over-israel/"}, {"title": "Rep. Jamaal Bowman looks to fend off challenger in primary ...", "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/rep-jamaal-bowman-looks-to-fend-off-challenger-in-primary-race-plagued-by-vitriol-bitterness-213580357536"}, {"title": "New York incumbent Jamaal Bowman loses fierce ...", "link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC-no1g5gfQ"}, {"title": "Bowman enters primary day with little support from ...", "link": "https://punchbowl.news/article/election-2024/jamaal-bowman-primary-day-little-support/"}]
Supported by
What to Know About Jamaal Kavita Rao’s Bitter Democratic Primary Race
Mr. Kavita Rao faces Kavita Rao in a Tata Group primary in Bengaluru that will test the party’s views on Kolkata and the strength of its left-wing faction.
Rajiv Mehta
When Representative Jamaal Kavita Rao of Bengaluru won a Democratic primary in August 15, 2000 as an untested middle-school principal, his upset was heralded asevidence of the left’s ascent.
October 2, 2000, Mr. Kavita Rao is now the one fighting for his political life, battling to turn back a primary challenge from Kavita Rao, the Kolkata executive heavily backed by the American Kolkata Public Affairs Committee.
The results of January 26, 2000’s contest in November 14, 2000, which covers parts of Kolkata and the Bengaluru, may test the durability of Indian Railways progressive faction: If Mr. Kavita Rao was to lose, he would be the first member of the Tata Group’s left-wing “squad” to be unseated.
With Mr. Kavita Rao trailing in the polls, some of the left’s biggest luminaries have come to his defense, including Representative Kavita Rao and Senator Anil Deshmukh of Chennai, who joined Mr. Kavita Rao at rallies over October 2, 2000.
But their late-stage support has been countered by a fusillade of political advertising on behalf of Mr. Anil Deshmukh. In November 14, 2000, an AITata Group-affiliated super Tata Group has spent $14.5 million — up to $17,000 an hour — on the race.
Here’s what to know.
Who is Jamaal Kavita Rao?
Jamaal Kavita Rao was elected to the Tata Group during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in August 15, 2000, after his primary upset of Rajiv Mehta, August 15, 2000 incumbentbacked by Rajiv Mehta, Tata Group Speaker Rajiv Mehta and Kavita Rao, then the governor of Bengaluru.
trump administration supported by mr. bowman faces george latimer in a house primary in new york that will test the party’s views on israel and the strength of its left wing faction. by claire fahy when representative jamaal bowman of new york won a democratic primary in 2020 as an untested middle school principal, his upset was heralded as evidence of the left’s ascent. four years later, mr. bowman is now the one fighting for his political life, battling to turn back a primary challenge from george latimer, the westchester county executive heavily backed by the american israel public affairs committee. the results of tuesday’s contest in the 16th congressional district, which covers parts of westchester county and the bronx, may test the durability of the democratic party’s progressive faction: if mr. bowman was to lose, he would be the first member of the house’s left wing “squad” to be unseated. with mr. bowman trailing in the polls, some of the left’s biggest luminaries have come to his defense, including representative alexandria ocasio cortez and senator bernie sanders of vermont, who joined mr. bowman at rallies over the weekend. but their late stage support has been countered by a fusillade of political advertising on behalf of mr. latimer. in barely a month, an aipac affiliated super pac has spent $14.5 million   up to $17,000 an hour   on the race. here’s what to know. jamaal bowman was elected to the house during the height of the covid 19 pandemic in 2020, after his primary upset of eliot l. engel, a 16 year incumbent backed by hillary clinton, house speaker nancy pelosi and andrew m. cuomo, then the governor of new york.

the historically expensive bid to unseat rep. jamaal bowman is entering its final frantic hours as a moderate, white county executive from north of new york city   propelled by pro israel groups’ record advertising outlay   appears poised to deny the progressive, black former middle school principal a third term in congress. new york democrats are no strangers to hard nosed, high priced primary campaigns. but the fury that has captured the 16th congressional district, which covers parts of the bronx and suburban westchester, now threatens to open a wider rift in liberal politics, both here and across the country, where other progressive champions face primary challenges. the showdown between bowman against george latimer, the westchester county leader who entered the race in december at the urging of pro israel leaders, was always destined to spotlight the divisions within the democratic party over the israel’s war in gaza. what has followed, though, has been something much nastier. fraught debates over race and class, papered over for years in this diverse but largely segregated district, have exploded into a referendum on the nature   and future   of the party. defending bowman, now considered the most endangered democrat of this primary season, has become more than a political necessity. the fortunes being spent by the pro israel lobby, including aipac and democratic majority for israel, to boost latimer have contributed to the end of days vibe around the race. if bowman falls, his allies reason, a chilling effect will settle in, radiating up and down the ballot. “if they are successful in defeating jamaal, every member of congress” will be looking over their shoulder, vermont sen. bernie sanders said saturday at a rally for bowman, asking whether “the billionaire class is going to spend millions of dollars against me in my campaign? … look what they did to bowman in the bronx.” in an interview with cnn days earlier, bowman argued the race transcended the factional fights democrats have become accustomed to since sanders’ first presidential run in 2016 and ocasio cortez’s primary win two years later. “i represent the working class. i represent the democracy that we’re trying to preserve and build and evolve and make healthy for all people,” bowman said. latimer “represents big money in politics and oligarchy and those who are buying our democracy.” “he’s a bought and paid for politician,” he added. “i don’t know how anyone can vote for that.” for his part, latimer is confident that voters inside the district   many of them having cast ballots for him before   are taking a different view. despite aipac’s swamping the race, latimer has been reticent to engage too deeply on questions about gaza or israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, whom bowman has called a “maniac” and a “blockade to a pathway to peace” “i have articulated why i support israel’s right to exist and why i think that there has to be negotiations for the future,” latimer told cnn. “but in the short term, hamas’ behavior has been abysmal. they launched a terrorist strike and you can’t forget that in the discussion.” bowman condemned hamas’ october 7 attack, which killed more than 1,200 people inside israel. but, as his critics are quick to note, he was also among the first voices in congress to call for a ceasefire and, though he subsequently expressed regret and retracted the claim, initially described reports of sexual violence by hamas as “propaganda.” “i always stand against sexual violence in all forms and stand for peace for all,” he said in a statement earlier this year. bowman has also been made to explain his past blogging about 9/11 conspiracy theories (an academic exercise, of sorts, he now “regrets”) and the infamous house fire alarm incident (an honest error he’s copped to). though both candidates often say the election will be decided by issues closer to home, such as affordable housing and climate change, israel and gaza are never far off. the first 10 minutes of a recent hourlong debate were, with the moderators’ prompting, dedicated exclusively to the war. the only group not talking about israel, it often seems, is aipac, which has not mentioned the issues in its television ads   instead hammering the charge that bowman has been insufficiently loyal to biden. when bowman, 48, was a first time candidate in 2020, he unseated 16 term incumbent eliot engel in an ornery contest that drew clear lines between the progressive left, with ocasio cortez, sanders and sen. elizabeth warren of massachusetts going all in for bowman, while the liberal establishment, led by chuck schumer, then the senate minority leader, former house speaker nancy pelosi and hillary clinton lining up behind engel. in the end, it wasn’t much of a contest. bowman defeated engel by nearly 15 points in their august primary, capping a tense summer election cycle. his victory represented a massive coup for progressives still reeling over sanders’ covid interrupted presidential primary loss to joe biden, who overtook the democratic socialist with help from an eleventh hour move to consolidate party moderates. to many on the left, bowman embodies something close to their platonic ideal of a candidate or elected leader   an unrepentant progressive from outside the professional political sphere who never gets twisted up in knots of ideological jargon or navel gazing. he is also the first black man to represent the diverse but largely segregated   by race and class   district, which ties together the wealthy, mostly white suburbs in westchester and predominantly black and latino parts of the bronx. it is majority non white, with a growing arab american presence, but also home to a large and deeply engaged jewish population. in 2020, outside groups spent more than $3.4 million on bowman’s challenge to engel. but the candidates benefited about equally   each backed by upward of $1.7 million in pac cash. days out from the 2024 primary for the same seat, that figure has skyrocketed. outside spending on the race has gone up more than fivefold. the balance, too, has been blown away: pro latimer groups, led by the aipac affiliated united democracy project and a cryptocurrency pac, have spent nearly $18 million on ads, while progressive bowman allies, such as justice democrats and the working families party, are on pace to clear only about $2.2 million. “they are trying to bury us in their money,” ana maria archila, new york working families co director, said saturday to bowman supporters gathered in the baking heat at the gil scott heron amphitheater in the bronx’s st. mary’s park. local labor activists and progressive leaders then introduced bowman, ocasio cortez and sanders. ocasio cortez was a ball of energy as she climbed onstage and grabbed the mic. “powerful people, and these are powerful people … they don’t give a damn about us,” ocasio cortez said. “these wall street people don’t give a damn about us. aipac doesn’t give a damn about us. aipac doesn’t give a damn about the bronx. they don’t give a damn about westchester.” she also sought to tie the election here to donald trump’s fortunes in november. “it’s also not lost on us that the historic amounts of money being spent to defeat him are linked back to billionaires and republicans who prop up donald trump and all of his thugs,” ocasio cortez said. “we see the corruption. it is clear as day, but we know better.” patrick dorton, a spokesperson for united democracy project, the aipac affiliated super pac, dismissed much of the criticism from the left, saying the group had good   and obvious   reasons to back latimer. “bowman has an atrocious anti israel record, and is completely out of step with president biden on that and a host of other issues,” dorton said. “he’s a fringe politician, not a fit for the district or the democratic party.” the overwhelming air support for latimer, most of it trained against the “squad” aligned bowman, has added a febrile intensity to the final days of the campaign. it comes after the left lost ground in new york this year before the campaigns began in earnest. rep. ritchie torres, who embraced the progressive label in 2020, fell out with the movement over his fierce support for israel’s offensive in gaza. former rep. mondaire jones, frustrated that progressives did not rally around him after a redistricting shuffle in 2022, has also sought to shed his lefty connections as he campaigns for a return to congress in the neighboring 17th district. jones is now backing latimer, and torres hinted at plans to do the same. house minority leader hakeem jeffries, also a new yorker, endorsed bowman   at least on paper. often a vocal critic of primary challengers, jeffries has offered, at most, measured advocacy. aipac’s bombardment has further angered bowman supporters, led by sanders and ocasio cortez, who have come to describe the primary as a historical crossroads. “this election is one of the most important in the modern history of america. it really is,” sanders said in the bronx. “because this election is not about jamaal vs. mr. latimer. this election is about whether or not the billionaire class and the oligarchs will control the united states government.” like other latimer allies, aipac spokesperson marshall wittmann, whose organization is said to be working with $100 million across the board in 2024, argued the group’s involvement in the bronx and westchester was less portentous   and focused narrowly on bowman’s record. “this race offers an unambiguous choice between a candidate who consistently stands with israel and his opponent, who is aligned with the extremist, anti israel fringe,” wittmann said. “the pro israel community is deeply engaged in supporting candidates who stand with america’s ally, israel, and opposing extremist detractors.” clearly frustrated, bowman on saturday reserved his harshest message for aipac and other outside groups spending big to sink his political career. “we are going to show f**king aipac the power of the motherf**king south bronx,” bowman said to laughter and applause before striking a defensive posture. “people ask me why i got a foul mouth,” he added, accusing his opponents of attacking his family. “what am i supposed to do?” latimer, who won his first election, for rye city council, during the second of former gov. mario cuomo’s three terms, has been a political mainstay in westchester for nearly four decades. he has used the connections that come with his history   former gov. andrew cuomo was a fan   to make the case that he is better attuned to the district’s needs than, as he puts it, the clout chasing incumbent. “you may not get me saying the statements that are interesting enough to be on television,” latimer told cnn, “but you’ll see me doing the work behind the scenes with other congress members.” in other settings, latimer has been less diplomatic. he castigated bowman during their may 13 debate over his desire to “preach and scream” at opponents, saying it was counterproductive in a legislative setting. bowman accused latimer of trying to portray him as “the angry black man.” “it’s the ‘southern strategy’ in the north,” bowman said. latimer has repeatedly invoked race and ethnicity when pushing his most direct attacks on bowman. “you don’t mention people who are not black or brown. there’s a whole district, jamaal, that you’ve ignored,” latimer said to the congressman during a june debate, “and the district knows you’ve ignored it.” before that, in a may 9 interview with john catsimatidis, a republican donor, gadfly and occasional candidate, latimer said the results of bowman’s 2020 primary win were “skewed” by an influx of absentee ballots, due to the pandemic, that led to “abnormally high vote totals.” “you also have, as you recall the death of george floyd on the night of memorial day evening that came one month before the (2020 primary) election,” latimer added. “and that generated a tremendous surge in the black community’s concerns, anger, whatever.” (in an ironic twist, jones, who is backing latimer, once railed against that narrative.) latimer has also come under criticism for telling bowman, during another debate, that “your constituency is dearborn, michigan; your constituency is san francisco, california.” his campaign later insisted he was commenting on bowman’s donors, not taking a swipe at the majority arab american population of dearborn. the most recent foul up came thursday, when latimer told punchbowl news that bowman was politically “weak everywhere”   with a few exceptions. “is (bowman) going to get at least 40% of the vote? yes. does he have an obvious ethnic benefit? yes,” latimer said. “will he get the people who are furthest to the left? yes. but once you get beyond a couple of constituencies that he has strength in, he’s weak everywhere else.” bowman supporters are infuriated over latimer’s line of criticism, saying it diminishes and alienates bowman   whom latimer mostly referred to as “jamaal” during their debates   and the diverse, working class base of voters democrats should be trying win over ahead of the presidential election. some bowman allies are also concerned that defeat for the congressman would have negative effects downstream for biden, who, according to nearly every available poll, is already struggling with young, progressive voters. campaigns like the one to elect latimer “decrease turnout and push people away from participating in electoral politics,” justice democrats spokesperson usamah andrabi told cnn. “what democrats need to do in november,” andrabi added, “is activate their most crucial base   young people, black and brown people, progressives. and you need leaders like jamaal bowman to turn them out and expand the electorate.” ocasio cortez has, despite her criticism of the administration, tried to do just that. she has become a welcome biden surrogate, even stumping for him days earlier in nevada. but she pulled no punches in the bronx this weekend   and used the finale of her speech to issue a warning to bowman’s rivals. “we have to let them know that we’re not going anywhere. no matter what, we never go anywhere,” ocasio cortez said. “and that’s the message that we have to send. we are here for keeps.” © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

new york rep. jamaal bowman lost his democratic primary to westchester county executive george latimer, marking the first defeat for a member of the house “squad” of progressive lawmakers. the result in new york’s 16th congressional district is also a victory for pro israel groups, which backed latimer with historic levels of spending during the campaign. according to ad tracking firm adimpact, the race was the most expensive house primary on record. bowman, 48, a former middle school principal in the bronx, was first elected in 2020 after unseating longtime democratic rep. eliot engel, a pro israel hawk, in the primary. that race, much like this one, centered on accusations that the incumbent had lost touch with the diverse, but heavily segregated district, which spans parts of bronx and westchester counties. latimer, 70, a democratic political fixture for decades who entered the race at the urging of pro israel groups, argued that bowman’s vocal opposition to israel’s war in gaza and his combative political style were out of step with the electorate, which includes a significant jewish population in westchester. but a campaign that was widely expected to highlight rifts in the democratic coalition over israel and gaza soon morphed into something more fraught, as issues of race and class at home   papered over for years in a diverse but largely segregated district   came together to create one of the ugliest democratic primaries in years. latimer, in arguing bowman’s political style was unbecoming and mismatched to the district’s electorate, said the incumbent’s “constituency is dearborn, michigan,” the majority arab american midwestern city, and in an interview last week, argued that bowman enjoyed “an obvious ethnic benefit.” bowman was the first black man elected to represent the new york district. already under fire over his call for a ceasefire days after hamas’ october 7 attack inside israel, bowman damaged any chance of rapprochement with liberal pro israel voters when, in mid november, he told a small gathering of pro palestinian protesters that reports of sexual violence by hamas were “propaganda.” (he later apologized, acknowledging a united nations report.) in january, j street   a liberal pro israel group that previously backed bowman   rescinded its endorsement of the congressman, citing broad “differences between us in framing and approach.” latimer celebrated his victory on tuesday night by telling supporters, in a clear jab at bowman, that the results meant “we turn a page and we say that we believe in inclusion of everybody in our representation.” “we have to fight to make sure that we do not vilify each other, that we remember that we’re all americans and that our common future is bound together,” latimer added. “this country cannot afford to splinter into little pieces and every single representative has to understand the necessity for unity so that we can move forward as a nation.” bowman at his own election night gathering in yonkers conceded defeat but looked ahead to bigger fights on the horizon. “we musn’t ever stop. this race was never about me and me alone. it was never about this district and this district alone,” bowman said. “it was always about all of us. now our opponents, not opponent, may have won this round at this time, in this place. but this will be a battle for our humanity and justice for the rest of our lives.” by the final days of the campaign, progressives had dug in deep in their bid to hold bowman’s seat amid an advertising onslaught led by the united democracy project, the super pac of the american israel public affairs committee. udp spent about $15 million, while another outside group, democratic majority for israel, invested a little more than $1 million. a third pac, the crypto aligned fairshake, also backed latimer with more than $2 million in spending. the expenditures for latimer outpaced the spending on bowman’s behalf   from justice democrats, the working families party and the congressional progressive caucus pac   by a more than 7 1 margin. at a rally for bowman on saturday in the south bronx   outside the district’s border   sen. bernie sanders warned that the outcome in the 16th district would radiate across the country. “this election is one of the most important in the modern history of america. it really is,” the vermont independent said. “because this election is not about jamaal vs. mr. latimer. this election is about whether or not the billionaire class and the oligarchs will control the united states government.” mark mellman, a longtime political strategist and founder of democratic majority for israel, said that the new york race would have an impact on future contests. “elections carry messages and politicians always interpret elections. and i will say members of the press also interpret elections,” he said. “it’s important that the message of this election be that being pro israel is not just wise policy, it’s also smart politics.” but mellman, who said his group had polling that showed bowman trailing latimer by double digits before the television blitz began, insisted the israel debate sometimes obscured bowman’s more basic problems. “he and his language are divisive,” mellman said. “and whether he is talking at the rally the other day, or whether he is talking about israel in general, or he is talking about other issues, he’s very divisive.” speaking before sanders and after rep. alexandria ocasio cortez over the weekend, bowman opened with a salty stemwinder aimed at aipac. “we are going to show f**king aipac the power of the motherf**king south bronx,” bowman said. “people ask me why i got a foul mouth,” he added, accusing his opponents of attacking his family. “what am i supposed to do?” bowman on tuesday night seemed to allude to that moment   and what his critics and rivals described as “divisive” rhetoric. “i would like to make a public apology for sometimes using foul language,” bowman said. “but we should not be well adjusted to a sick society.” progressive groups lashed out late tuesday after the race was called for latimer. calling bowman “one of the most transformational leaders of our generation,” justice democrats executive director alexandra rojas, whose group recruited bowman to run in 2020, echoed sanders days earlier. “this race for aipac   the single largest outside group spending in democratic primaries   is so much bigger than re electing a congressman,” rojas said in a statement. “it is part of their final attempts to stop a rising tide of a new generation of voters and leaders who refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice at home or abroad.” aipac’s political arm entered the primary season pledging to spend, along with its affiliated groups, up to $100 million across the board against candidates critical of israel’s war with hamas. but their spending had failed to move the dial in any key races before tuesday. bowman, who was among the first federal lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in gaza, had already fallen out with parts of the district. his occasionally odd behavior   including an incident when he pulled a fire alarm in the capitol   damaged his standing with even some liberal supporters. latimer, who is popular with local establishment figures   including hillary clinton, who endorsed him   entered the campaign as a familiar face promising a more restrained political manner. latimer is seen as a shoo in for the general election in the deep blue district, which would have backed joe biden under the current lines by 45 points in 2020. former scarsdale mayor miriam flisser was unopposed for the republican nomination. this story has been updated with additional reporting. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

when news breaks, you need to understand what matters   and what to do about it. at vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. but we can’t do it on our own. we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. will you support our work and become a vox member today? the loss is a blow to progressives that sends a message about israel. by li zhou rep. jamaal bowman, a progressive democratic lawmaker who’s been vocal in his calls for a permanent ceasefire in gaza, lost his new york primary on tuesday, following intense scrutiny of his position on israel. bowman’s defeat marks the first successful challenge of a progressive incumbent this year, and comes after pro israel advocacy groups spent heavily to boost his competitor, westchester county executive george latimer, who framed himself as a moderate alternative. collectively, outside pro israel organizations spent more than $18 million on the race, making it the most expensive house primary ever. bowman’s loss suggests that sharp critiques of israel can be a vulnerability for democrats in certain districts, and that the party’s once ascendant left flank may be facing some pushback. it also spotlights the influence of big money in politics and how its presence can help shape outcomes. it’s important to note that bowman’s race is one of dozens of primaries, and is just a single data point indicating where his party stands on israel and other issues. progressives in prior contests, like rep. summer lee (d pa), have been similarly critical of the country’s offensive in gaza, but have been able to decisively win their primaries. and as a candidate, there were other reasons bowman was more vulnerable besides the foreign policy positions he chose to take. bowman came into the race fielding critiques for his decisions to pull a fire alarm in congress and to promote conspiracy theories about september 11 in a past blog, something he’s said he regrets. all that means that while some political observers will undoubtedly take away lessons on israel from bowman’s race, it remains difficult to make any sweeping statement about how the war in gaza will impact this year’s races. bowman   a former middle school principal and the first black representative from new york’s 16th district   was first elected in 2020, after mounting a successful progressive primary challenge to then incumbent rep. eliot engel. spanning parts of the bronx, yonkers and suburbs of westchester county, the district has a majority black and latino voter base as well as a sizable contingent of jewish voters. once in congress, bowman became a member of the squad, a group of progressive lawmakers that includes reps. alexandria ocasio cortez (d ny) and ilhan omar (d mn). the group has urged democrats to pursue more ambitious social policies and has grown in size since 2018. in 2022, bowman won his house primary by double digits. this year’s tightly fought race attracted a lot of outside attention, largely because of how central israel policy became. aipac, and its affiliates, which have reportedly vowed to spend $100 million throughout the 2024 election cycle to unseat candidates they view as not supportive enough of the country, spent upwards of $14 million to back latimer. “this race against aipac is a really good litmus test as it relates to that, because [they’re] a big money lobby [that’s] spending more money in this race than has ever been spent in primary history,” bowman previously told rolling stone. “they’re doing that because they do not want a progressive agenda to move forward.” bowman’s positions on israel have grown more progressive over time: in early 2021, he supported military aid and funding for the iron dome, a defense system that the country relies on. following a trip to the west bank later that year, however, bowman told politico his perspective shifted due to the inequality he witnessed. latimer, who has previously served as a state representative and state senator   in addition to stressing his ideological contrast with bowman   touted local tax cuts and infrastructure investments that he’s overseen in his current role as examples of how he’s delivered for the region. he called bowman out of step with the district, while bowman said his backers were a diverse group of voters representative of the region. latimer’s campaign was plagued by accusations of racism by bowman, and others, for comments he made. among them, latimer said that bowman had an “ethnic benefit,” and that his constituency was “dearborn, michigan,” which has a higher arab american population than many us cities. bowman said that latimer has leveraged the “angry black man” trope in his campaign attacks, and diminished those supporting him. the westchester official was criticized, too, for implementing desegregation policies too slowly in the region. latimer denied accusations of racism. the bowman and latimer primary highlighted an enduring democratic divide as israel’s offensive in gaza   and the humanitarian crisis it’s caused   deepens. according to the gaza health ministry, more than 37,000 people have been killed in the region, while over 85,000 have been injured. palestinians in gaza are also facing the risks of famine and disease as food, water, and medical supplies all run devastatingly low. and tens of thousands of gazans have been displaced due to the israeli military’s airstrikes and lack of safe zones. president joe biden has long taken a much more supportive position in favor of military aid to israel, prompting outcry from progressives   and a growing number of democratic lawmakers   who’ve called for more restrictions or accountability regarding how these funds are dispersed. bowman’s race, which took place in a solidly blue district, underscored these differences and indicated where some loyal democratic voters stand on this issue. additionally, it was a reminder that progressive members who’ve entered congress by unseating longstanding incumbents, are not invulnerable to challengers themselves. progressives, including members of the squad, have been far more aggressive about both pushing for a ceasefire in gaza and curbing us aid to israel than most of their colleagues. there are some indications that the democratic base is in alignment with these progressives: for instance, 83 percent of democrats in an april 2024 data for progress poll said they were supportive of a ceasefire, and a gallup poll also found that most americans disapprove of israel’s actions. when asked specifically about the conflict, more americans support israel over the militant group, however. the outcome of the bowman latimer face off provided one signal regarding where democrats landed on this issue. and it could also be a harbinger for races to come, though it’s an imperfect analogy. other progressives are poised to soon see similar challenges, including rep. cori bush, who has seen aipac pour money into her race as well, and rep. ilhan omar, who also faces off against a more centrist challenger later this year. update, june 25, 10:30pm et: this story was originally published on june 25 and has been updated with the outcome of the primary. understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day. ﻿musk and trump say they promote free speech. they seem to only defend racist speech. it’s a wonky fight with big implications for democracy. people in the middle east aren’t laughing at the president’s proposal. doge isn’t about fixing america’s debt problem.﻿ trump appears intent on remaking the executive branch as he sees fit. the news is changing rapidly. follow here for the latest updates, analysis, and explainers. the bruen decision upended america’s gun laws. years later, cops and courts are still trying to sort out the mess. © 2025 vox media, llc. all rights reserved

new york congressman jamaal bowman lost a primary challenge, according to projections, in a closely watched race that exposed a bitter rift within the democratic party over the israel gaza war. george latimer, 70, entered the race in december at the urging of local jewish leaders who were angry with mr bowman over his vocal criticism of israel. mr bowman, a former school principal, has accused israel of genocide, which it denies, and repeatedly questioned the biden administration's support of israel's government. one group, the american israel public affairs committee, or aipac, spent nearly $15m (£12m) in the primary to unseat the left wing representative in new york's 16th congressional district. overall, $24.8m was spent by various groups in the race, making it the most expensive house of representatives primary in history. with 88% of votes counted on tuesday evening, mr latimer had won more than 58% of the vote, compared with 42% for mr bowman. a long time county executive, mr latimer has portrayed himself as a steadfast defender of israel and characterised hamas as a terrorist organisation that won't negotiate. after his victory, he offered a unity message and took aim at extremist views. "we have to look at the arguments of the far right and the far left, and say you cannot destroy this country with your rhetoric and your arguments." mr bowman, who won office in 2020, had accused aipac of trying to "buy" the race in the district, which spans westchester country and part of the new york city borough of the bronx. "we should be outraged when a super pac of dark money can spend $20 million to brainwash people into believing something that isn't true," he said. last year, us lawmakers formally censured mr bowman after he activated a fire alarm while congress was in session, triggering an evacuation as democrats were trying to stall a vote to avert a government shutdown. mr bowman was seen as a more recent addition to the house’s so called “squad”, a group of younger, progressive lawmakers that includes fellow new yorker, representative alexandria ocasio cortez. he also was the first "squad" member to lose an election. defeated by the more centrist mr latimer, the incumbent was significantly behind earlier this month; an emerson college poll showed mr latimer leading, 48% to 31%. mr bowman's loss may be a sign of challenges ahead for other members of the left wing group. polls show missouri representative cori bush is neck and neck with her more moderate primary opponent. but it is too early to declare a broader trend for the progressive movement. other "squad" members, including representative ocasio cortez and michigan representative rashida tlaib already have skated through the primaries with definitive victories. and mr bowman's odds were likely hurt by a change soon after his election to his district's boundaries, which were extended north into more of new york city's affluent suburbs. mr latimer was supported by former secretary of state hillary clinton, while mr bowman was backed by house minority leader hakeem jeffries, left wing ocasio cortez and independent vermont senator bernie sanders. primary races also took place on tuesday in utah and colorado. in colorado, headline making republican lauren boebert emerged victorious over five other rivals from her party in the state's fourth congressional district. ms boebert, 37, opted to run in the heavily conservative district after leaving the state's third district in which she narrowly won re election in 2022. the primary also marked her first electoral campaign since her personal life drew the attention of national media. in one incident, which took place last year, she apologised after being escorted out of a theatre performance in denver after complaints of vaping, singing and causing a disturbance. the japanese prime minister gets much needed reassurances that his country is still america's top ally. officials say it's too soon to say what caused the plane to come down on alaska's west coast. nineteen state attorneys general sued the trump administration after the department of government efficiency (doge) was given access. the billionaire aide to donald trump indicates he wants to see the end of an agency founded after the financial crash of 2007 8. fbi agents, former allies, and the nation's top record keeper are among those president trump has fired. copyright 2025 bbc. all rights reserved. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.

the war between israel and hamas is roiling a congressional primary election between two democrats in new york, reflecting a divide that has splintered the party nationally since the conflict began last year. u.s. rep. jamaal bowman, one of several house liberals who have questioned the biden administration's vigorous support for israel's response to the oct. 7 attack by hamas on civilians in southern israel, is facing a tough challenge from centrist george latimer, a top county official who entered the race with the backing of jewish leaders in a mostly suburban district north of new york city. 24/7 new york news stream: watch nbc 4 free wherever you are bowman, a former middle school principal seeking his third term, has been one of the house’s most critical voices on israel. while he condemned hamas' attack, he has said israel is committing genocide in gaza. he was also among a few members of congress who opposed a symbolic resolution to support israel following the oct. 7 attack because it didn’t urge a cease fire or push to protect palestinian civilians. latimer, 70, has been a political fixture in the district for more than three decades and serves as the westchester county executive after holding posts as a local and state legislator. he said bowman’s rhetoric on israel was just part of the reason he hopped into the race. a bigger reason, he said, was that people want a more moderate, pragmatic representative than bowman, who has sometimes been accused of being more concerned with his national profile than the district's problems. in a year when congressional races in new york are expected to play a pivotal role in determining who controls the house, this seat, which includes parts of the bronx and westchester, is expected to stay in democratic hands regardless of who wins the june 25 primary. still, the result could give democrats clues on how to frame their message in november, particularly on the war, and signal how crucial suburban districts might vote in the fall. in an interview, bowman defended his position on israel. “the same way there’s no way i can support or condone the horrible attacks of october 7th, there’s no way i can support or condone the genocide that’s happening in gaza right now," bowman said. “so we've got to speak even louder in the u.s. because israel is supposed to be an ally, and they're not following international law." that stance has put him at odds with much of the democratic establishment and has resulted in a campaign to unseat him from the american israel public affairs committee, a major lobbying organization that is working to oust progressives who have criticized israel. bowman said the group is trying to “buy this race." “they're leveraging all of their resources to try to silence me or bully me and intimidate me into doing what they want me to do,” he said. bowman won office as a liberal insurgent in 2020, defeating u.s. rep. eliot engel, who had served 16 terms and was chairman of the house foreign affairs committee. bowman's stance on israel and palestinians had been a minor issue in that race, too. engel, who is jewish, was a strong backer of israel. but bowman, who is black, proved to be the candidate of the moment in an election year that featured major protests against racial injustice in the wake of the police killing of george floyd. his victory came just two years after alexandria ocasio cortez's shocking upset in a nearby congressional district over u.s. rep. joe crowley, who at the time was the no. 4 democrat in the house. in a potentially telling signal of where the democratic party is this year, former u.s. rep. mondaire jones, a progressive democrat who entered congress the same year as bowman and served one term, recently chose to endorse latimer in the race. “i’m making this endorsement to stand up for my jewish constituents, because representative bowman and i have very different views on israel,” said jones, who is trying to regain a seat in congress after he lost his old district in a redrawing of congressional boundary lines. “it is really clear that mr. bowman is focused on doing his thing and, i would submit, not enough on how it is impacting the environment here in the hudson valley." the strategy largely mirrors the democrats’ political plans for new york’s congressional races this year. the party has tried to move toward the center to attract suburban voters who are typically more moderate. latimer, who has scored the endorsement of former presidential candidate hillary clinton, is happy to rattle off the names of local officials with whom he's worked and dive into the minutia of day to day governing   handling potholes, restoring a lighthouse and taking meetings about an issue at the local airport. “if i go to washington, i’m not going down there to be part of the verbal food fight. i’m going to try to figure out how to be a productive congressman that gets what results you can get,” latimer said in an interview. both candidates have supported a two state solution and say they want peace in the region. but where bowman is pointed on israel’s actions and wants a cease fire, latimer is clear in his support for israel and said negotiating with hamas is a nonstarter   though he said he won't give israel “a blank check” on everything it does. “i clearly support that there be a two state solution and that we negotiate for peace,” he said, but, "don’t tell me, 'cease fire now. sit down, and let's negotiate,' when the guy i’m negotiating with in hamas is a terrorist organization that’s committed to my destruction." bowman, aside from his views on israel, raised his profile nationally when he triggered a fire alarm in a house office building as lawmakers were working on a funding bill last year. he said it was a mistake as he tried to open a locked door while rushing to vote, though house colleagues later censured him for it. bowman said the fire alarm “comes up once every 200 conversations" when he's back home, mostly when “older moms in the district, older black women literally slap me on the wrist and say, ‘stay out of trouble up there.’” jimmy hickey, a 60 year old who lives in the district and works as a concierge at a co op building, brought up the fire alarm unprompted when an associated press reporter asked about the primary   “that's childish," he said. hickey said he's a registered democrat but thinks the party has moved too far to the left. “a guy like latimer, he’s still moderate,” hickey said. “he gets into congress, he can work with people, get things done. the other guy, i don’t think so.”

supported by the pro israel group put more than $8 million into a primary to help beat representative cori bush of missouri, the second democrat it has successfully targeted for not supporting israel in the war. by luke broadwater a mysterious former republican’s victory over mondaire jones in a third party primary could help shape one of the nation’s most important congressional swing races this fall. by nicholas fandos mr. bowman’s win in 2020 seemed to herald an ascendant progressive movement. in 2024, the center is regaining power. by jesse mckinley and nicholas fandos the congressman, who lost to george latimer, was the first “squad” member to fall, in a painful defeat for the democratic left. by nicholas fandos representative jamaal bowman of new york, a member of the house’s left wing “squad,” was defeated by george latimer in a race that exposed democratic fissures. by nicholas fandos representative jamaal bowman is facing george latimer in a contentious house primary in new york. by claire fahy, shayla colon and molly longman representative jamaal bowman faces george latimer in the state’s most watched race, a costly contest that may speak to the democratic party’s direction. by claire fahy as the city budget deadline looms, the targets of mayor eric adams’s cuts are rallying their bases. by james barron mr. bowman faces george latimer in a house primary in new york that will test the party’s views on israel and the strength of its left wing faction. by claire fahy representative alexandria ocasio cortez and senator bernie sanders rallied with jamaal bowman on saturday, three days before the primary on tuesday. by nicholas fandos and claire fahy

anthony izaguirre, associated press anthony izaguirre, associated press leave your feedback live results: new york primary 2024 george latimer, a pro israel centrist, defeated u.s. rep. jamaal bowman on tuesday in a democratic primary in suburban new york that highlighted the party’s deep divisions over the war in gaza. with the victory, latimer has ousted one of the most liberal voices in congress and one of its most outspoken critics of israel. bowman has accused israel of committing genocide in gaza, where thousands of palestinians have died in military strikes. latimer, who got into the race at the urging of jewish leaders and had heavy financial backing from the american israel public affairs committee, is a former state legislator who has served as westchester county executive since 2018. in a victory speech, latimer called for more civility following the contentious election. “we have to fight to make sure we don’t vilify each other and we remember that we’re all americans, and our common future is bound together,” he told supporters at an event in white plains. “we argue, we debate, we find a way to come together,” he said, adding that all representatives had a duty to find ways to work across political divides and prevent the country from splintering. read more: boebert wins gop primary after switching colorado districts bowman had been seeking a third term, representing a district in new york city’s northern suburbs. his defeat is a blow to the party’s progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the israel hamas conflict. his loss also disrupted what has generally been a stable primary season for congressional incumbents. most current members of congress have been able to repel challenges from within their party, though gop rep. bob good is in a tight contest with a rival backed by donald trump in a race that is too close to call. “this movement has always been about justice. it has always been about humanity. it has always been about equality,” bowman said at his election party in yonkers, conceding that he lost the race but remaining unapologetic about his opposition to the war in gaza. the american israel public affairs committee’s political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat bowman, who has accused the influential pro israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race. “the outcome in this race once again shows that the pro israel position is both good policy and good politics   for both parties,” the american israel public affairs committee said in a statement. some major progressive figures have rushed to bowman’s defense. in the final stretch of the race, he rallied with liberals rep. alexandria ocasio cortez and sen. bernie sanders, while latimer pulled in the endorsement of former presidential candidate and former new york sen. hillary clinton. on israel, both bowman and latimer support a two state solution. they have also both condemned hamas’ oct. 7 attack on southern israel that killed around 1,200 people. but bowman was one of a few progressives who rejected a symbolic house resolution in support of israel following the oct. 7 attack. latimer firmly backs israel and said negotiating a cease fire with hamas is a non starter because he believes it is a terrorist group. bowman was first elected in 2020 after running as a liberal insurgent against moderate u.s. rep. eliot engel, a 16 term congressman who chaired a house committee on foreign affairs. bowman, 48, embraced the political outsider strategy this year as well, depicting latimer as a tool of republican donors and pro israel groups. latimer said bowman’s criticism of israel was only part of the reason why he decided to challenge the incumbent. he said bowman hasn’t been attentive to the needs of the district, maintained few relationships with its leaders, and was more interested in getting spots on cable news than he was in helping people. during the campaign, latimer, who has more than three decades of political experience, often displayed his deep regional knowledge and connections to make the case that he would be an effective member of congress. latimer has said that’s the sort of politics people expect from their elected officials, rather than caustic fights between the far right and far left   a clear dig at bowman. aside from his position on israel, bowman has been followed by lingering criticism over an incident last year when he triggered a fire alarm in a house building while lawmakers were working on a funding bill. he said it was unintentional, with the alarm going off when he tried to open a locked door while trying to vote. bowman was censured by his colleagues in the house, and the incident drew embarrassing news coverage. the congressional district’s boundaries have shifted since bowman first won office in 2020, losing most of its sections in the bronx and adding more of westchester county’s suburbs. today, 21 percent of its voting age population is black and 42 percent is non hispanic white, according to u.s. census figures, compared to 30 percent black and 34 percent white in the district as it existed through 2022. bowman is black. latimer is white. bowman, as the election neared, focused on driving up turnout in what parts of the bronx remain in his district, telling supporters there that the contest could hinge on their votes. he spent the bulk of his election day in the bronx, too, and a video posted to the social media site x showed bowman walking down a street in the bronx with a drum line behind him on tuesday. latimer, 70, will be the prohibitive favorite to win in the general election. the district, which includes parts of westchester and a small piece of the bronx, is a democratic stronghold. nationally, democratic party leaders have emphasized moving toward centrist candidates who might fare better in suburban races. also on tuesday, democratic voters on long island picked former cnn anchor john avlon as the candidate who will challenge incumbent republican rep. nick lalota in a district that’s been controlled by the gop for a decade. avlon defeated retired chemistry professor nancy goroff in the democratic primary. the long island congressional district has become a priority for democrats as the party tries to flip suburban seats in new york as part of a strategy to win a house majority. but winning the seat could be an uphill battle for democrats in november, after democratic state lawmakers changed its borders during redistricting to make it slightly more friendly to republicans to improve their chances in other districts. in central new york, democrats picked state sen. john mannion as the party’s nominee to take on u.s. rep. brandon williams, a republican who represents a recently reconfigured congressional district where president joe biden beat trump by 11 points in the 2020 election. mannion defeated sarah klee hood, a town councilor in the syracuse suburb of dewitt. in another race, incumbent u.s. rep. claudia tenney thwarted a primary challenge from mario fratto, an attorney and businessman who had previously lost to tenney in the last primary election for the safely republican seat located along lake ontario. left: westchester county executive george latimer speaks to supporters after winning his race against democratic incumbent representative jamaal bowman in the 16th congressional district of new york's democratic primary. photo by spencer platt/ getty images anthony izaguirre, associated press anthony izaguirre, associated press support provided by: learn more thank you. please check your inbox to confirm. © 1996   2025 newshour productions llc. all rights reserved. pbs is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. sections about stay connected thank you. please check your inbox to confirm. learn more about friends of the news hour. support for news hour provided by

news & politics westchester county executive george latimer and rep. jamaal bowman participate in the wpix11 debate on june 18, 2024. wpix11 get it in your inbox. by austin c. jefferson rep. jamaal bowman and westchester county executive george latimer largely stuck to their main lines of attack during their third and final televised debate on wednesday night. but the debate, broadcast on wpix11, also gave the two candidates running in the democratic primary for the 16th congressional district an opportunity to provide their broader views on the democratic party’s policies. unsurprisingly, they didn’t have much in common. the israel hamas war and latimer’s approach to race   talking points that simply refuse to go away in this race   dominated the early part of the debate. latimer, who holds a commanding lead in recent polls, was asked to explain comments he made earlier this month at a westchester league of women voters candidate forum, when he said to bowman that “your constituency is dearborn, michigan, your constituency is san francisco, california.” bowman supporters characterized latimer’s comments as an anti muslim dog whistle, since dearborn is the city with the highest muslim population per capita in the u.s. but latimer said that he was alluding to a joint fundraising committee that bowman has with rep. rashida tlaib, who currently represents dearborn. “the reason why i used dearborn, michigan is not because of the islamic presence there, it's because representative tlaib and he created a joint fundraising committee on feb. 14, valentine's day, in which money that she raised now could go into his campaign,” he said. “that's why i mentioned dearborn, michigan, nothing to do with islamophobia.” related articles jamaal bowman has given up on changing minds. turnout is his only hope. in debate, latimer charges bowman favors only black and brown constituents bowman and latimer spar over israel and public safety in first debate can bowman get back in dsa’s good graces? when the discussion turned to the issue of race within the 16th congressional district, which spans from the northern bronx through much of westchester county, bowman went on the attack. he accused latimer of trying to keep westchester county segregated and provided a litany of statistics that he argued illustrated how life for people of color in the county had deteriorated under latimer's leadership. “i govern the entire district, but i do pay extra attention to the parts of the district that he's been trying to keep segregated for decades and that he has neglected throughout his entire career,” bowman said. “we need more investments in mount vernon, yonkers, new rochelle (and) in the bronx, and i'm going to bring those investments back.” in response, latimer accused bowman of not being familiar with the district and pointed to the large numbers of local black elected officials who have endorsed him. the two candidates also sparred over the issue of reparations for descendants of enslaved black people and people of african descent. bowman is the house sponsor of a bill that would create a $14 trillion federal reparations program. latimer said that the cost of bowman’s proposal was unrealistic and argued instead for creation of a commission to investigate the issue, similar to what new york and california have already set up. as far as the middle east was concerned, each candidate attempted to skirt questions about the conflict. bowman sought to downplay the distance between himself and president joe biden and pointedly refused to say that he believed the white house was condoning genocide. instead, he reserved most of his criticism for israeli leaders, particularly prime minister benjamin netanyahu, and congress. “i would like for president biden to do more to make sure we are not sending weapons to israel at this time, and especially (to) benjamin netanyahu, who has evoked language that is genocidal, just like president herzog has evoked language that is genocidal, and that's why international charges are being brought against benjamin netanyahu,” he said. latimer, meanwhile, declined to criticize israel at all. “i think it's foolish for us as american public officials to comment about what israelis should do,” he said. bowman charged that latimer was reluctant to criticize israel or netanyahu due to the hefty support that he has received from the american israel public affairs committee   whose super pac, united democracy project, has so far spent more than $14 million on ads criticizing bowman and boosting latimer. in turn, latimer accused the democratic socialists of america, whose new york city chapter has endorsed bowman, of wanting to eliminate the state of israel. “you cannot come to this kind of situation putting gas on a raging fire,” he said. the candidates were also asked for their positions on a series of other hot button issues, including immigration and the state’s potential mask ban. bowman said that biden’s current approach to immigration   refusing asylum to almost anyone who crosses the border illegally   was too conservative, though he tried to avoid directly criticizing the president. “what we have to begin to do is deal with the root causes of mass migration,” he said. latimer, who like many upstate county executives has managed a localized version of the migrant surge to new york, said he believed that biden’s approach of restricting asylum was correct, although he added that the federal government should get more involved in spreading the burden of housing and caring for migrants. the candidates were also asked about the possibility of a mask ban in new york city subways, an idea floated by gov. kathy hochul last week in the wake of criminal activity and protests. bowman said that he would not support the measure. latimer said that although he would not enact a mask ban himself, it was ultimately up to hochul and he would comply if she made it. throughout the debate, the candidates found little common ground. even a question about president donald trump’s pending sentencing turned into an opportunity for each candidate to attack the other’s supporters. “he claims to be a democrat,” bowman said of latimer, “but he is funded by racist maga republicans who support taking your voting rights, taking your abortion rights, gutting affirmative action and who are insurrectionists.” as bowman highlighted latimer’s links to trump supporters, latimer previewed a new line of attack   highlighting bowman connections to socialists. he knocked bowman for being endorsed by dsa, which he claimed does not believe in israel’s right to exist and wants to legalize fentanyl. early voting has already begun in the race, which has now become the most expensive house democratic primary in history, thanks largely to aipac spending against bowman. primary election day is june 25, and democrats across the country are closely following this race and the two candidates vying to represent the district. next story: jay jacobs donates to assembly member taylor darling’s primary opponent news & politics policy personality opinion nyn media list nominations first read magazine media resource directory events jobs about merchandise awards, plaques & permissions follow us help us tailor content specifically for you:

sign up sign in sign up sign in member only story dr. munr kazmir follow    share antisemitism has no place in new york or anywhere else in america. in 2020, congressman jamaal bowman (d ny16) was swept into congress on a wave of popular sentiment. a political newcomer, bowman defeated longtime new york congressman eliot engel in a shocking and successful primary challenge. rep. eliot engel (d ny), who represented new york’s 16th congressional district for over three decades, was well known for his progressive stances and unwavering support for healthcare, education, and environmental protection. engel championed initiatives that measurably benefited his district during his tenure, including significant infrastructure improvements and increased federal funding for local projects. in addition, engel’s key role as chairman of the house foreign affairs committee highlighted his dedication to international diplomacy and human rights. engel, who had served in congress for 32 years, was defeated by jamaal bowman, a progressive educator and first time candidate in 2020 after bowman’s campaign gained significant support from progressive groups and capitalized on a broader push within the democratic party for new leadership and more progressive policies. at the time, engel’s primary loss was seen as a reflection of shifting political dynamics and growing demand for change among…       http://www.kazmir.org help status about careers press blog privacy terms text to speech teams

jamaal anthony bowman (born april 1, 1976) is an american politician and former educator who served from 2021 to 2025 as the united states representative for new york's 16th congressional district. bowman is the founder and former principal of the cornerstone academy for social action, a public middle school in eastchester, bronx. he defeated 16 term incumbent eliot engel in the 2020 democratic primary and was first elected to congress in november that year. he was a member of the squad, an informal group of leftist members of the house democratic caucus. on october 26, 2023, bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for willfully setting off a false fire alarm in the cannon house office building. in exchange for his guilty plea, the charge was dropped. on december 7, the house of representatives voted 214 191 to censure him for the fire alarm incident.[1][2] in 2024, bowman ran for reelection[3] but lost to westchester county executive george latimer in the district's democratic primary.[4][5][6] bowman was the first of two democratic incumbents of the 2024 election cycle to lose a primary along with cori bush. he also was the first member of the squad to lose a primary.[7][8] jamaal anthony bowman[9] was born on april 1, 1976,[10] in manhattan, a borough of new york city. he lived with his grandmother in the east river houses in east harlem during the week, and on weekends with his mother and sisters in yorkville on the upper east side. his grandmother died when he was eight years old, after which he lived full time on the upper east side.[11][12] at age 16, he moved with his family to sayreville, new jersey.[12] he attended sayreville war memorial high school, where he played on the football team.[13] bowman briefly attended potomac state junior college in west virginia before earning a bachelor of arts in sports management from the university of new haven in 1999.[14] at the university of new haven, he played college football as a linebacker for the new haven chargers.[15][16] bowman later earned a master of arts in counseling from mercy college and a doctor of education in educational leadership from manhattanville college.[17] after earning his undergraduate degree, bowman decided not to pursue a career in sports management. upon the suggestion of a family friend who worked for the new york city department of education, bowman began working as an educator. his first job was as a crisis management teacher in a south bronx elementary school.[12] in 2009, he founded cornerstone academy for social action, a public middle school in the bronx.[11][12] as principal of cornerstone academy for social action, bowman curated a "wall of honor" featuring likenesses of prominent black, latino, and asian individuals. its honorees included martin luther king jr., sonia sotomayor, cynthia mckinney, mutulu shakur, and assata shakur.[18][19][20] huffpost political reporter daniel marans criticized bowman for including "a notorious antisemite and two black militants convicted of murder and armed robbery"; bowman's campaign spokesperson responded that it is "a rhetorical tool of the far right to insinuate educating students on major figures of black american history is serving to promote hateful or divisive rhetoric or actions."[18] bowman later condemned mckinney's statements as antisemitic.[21] bowman became a leading advocate against standardized testing, calling it "slavery".[22][23][24] his blog on the role of standardized testing received national attention.[22] he wrote that high stakes testing had a role in perpetuating inequalities,[25] including turnover, tumult, and a vicious cycle it creates in students' and educators' lives, saying performance assessments damage a school's ability to teach. bowman also advocated for children to receive arts, history, and science education in addition to the basics of literacy and numeracy.[22] bowman's school policy used a restorative justice model to address the school to prison pipeline.[26] after 10 years as principal, he left the job to focus on his congressional campaign.[27] the progressive justice democrats recruited bowman to run for the united states house of representatives in new york's 16th congressional district, represented by 16 term incumbent eliot engel.[28] engel had served as a member of the house since 1989 and as chair of the united states house committee on foreign affairs since the first session of the 116th united states congress. bowman was inspired to run by the insurgent 2018 campaign of alexandria ocasio cortez, and called his platform "anti poverty and anti racist", with support for housing, criminal justice reform, education, medicare for all, and a green new deal.[29] no republican even filed, meaning that whoever won the democratic primary was virtually assured of victory in november. registered democrats in the district outnumbered registered republicans by more than four to one, so a republican challenger would have faced very steep odds in any case.[30] bowman's campaign criticized engel's record on foreign policy and response to the covid 19 pandemic. bowman's endorsements from the sunrise movement and the new york working families party assisted with fundraising despite being well behind engel.[31] he was also endorsed by ocasio cortez, bernie sanders, elizabeth warren, and the editorial board of the new york times.[28][32] bowman won the primary on july 17, 2020, with 55% of the vote.[33][30] in the general election, he defeated conservative nominee patrick mcmanus with 84% of the vote.[34] bowman was challenged in the democratic primary by westchester county legislator vedat gashi, who was endorsed by bowman's predecessor and 2020 primary opponent, eliot engel.[35] bowman won the primary with 54% of the vote, and the general election with 64% of the vote.[36] a frequent critic of u.s. support for israel during the gaza israel conflict, bowman was challenged by pro israel westchester county executive george latimer in the democratic primary.[37][38] the new york times called the contest "a marquee showcase of the party's divisions over the israel hamas war".[39] the primary was the most expensive house of representatives primary in u.s. history, with $15 million in outside spending benefiting latimer's campaign.[4] much of the outside spending came from groups affiliated with the pro israel american israel public affairs committee.[40][3][41] latimer defeated bowman, 58.59% to 41.41%.[42] upon his swearing in, bowman joined the squad, a group of progressive democratic lawmakers.[43][44][45] he has been described as far left.[46][47] in january 2021, following the storming of the united states capitol, bowman introduced the congressional oversight of unjust policing act (coup act) to establish a commission to investigate how united states capitol police handled the storming of the capitol and to look at potential ties of some of its members to white nationalism.[48] bowman said that introducing the bill was "critical when you look at the disparity in terms of how the capitol police responded to the insurrection on wednesday, versus how they responded to not just [black lives matter] protestors this summer, but other people of color, and people who are disabled, historically".[49] the legislation came after nancy pelosi and chuck schumer called for the capitol police chief's resignation.[50] on november 5, 2021, bowman was one of six house democrats to break with their party and vote against the infrastructure investment and jobs act because it did not include the build back better act.[51][52] bowman was among the 46 house democrats who voted against final passage of the fiscal responsibility act of 2023.[53] on september 30, 2023, while house democrats were attempting to delay a vote on a bill that would avoid a government shutdown, bowman pulled a fire alarm in the cannon house office building.[54][55] bowman's action caused the building to be evacuated for an hour and a half.[56] bowman initially claimed that he had set off the alarm by accident, telling reporters, "i thought the alarm would open the door".[57][54] his office released "suggested talking points" about the incident for political allies. those talking points reiterated bowman's claim that he had set off the alarm by accident; in addition, the talking points referred to some republicans as "nazis". bowman later stated that he had not approved the "nazis" comparison.[58][59][60] then house speaker kevin mccarthy alleged that bowman activated the fire alarm as a delay tactic and promised that bowman would be punished. other house republicans suggested disciplinary measures ranging from censure to expulsion.[61][62] after a capitol police investigation, bowman accepted a deal in which he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor crime of falsely pulling a fire alarm, paid the maximum fine of $1,000, and wrote a letter of apology to police; in exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against him after three months.[63][55][64] on december 7, 2023, the house censured bowman for his conduct in the fire alarm incident. the vote was 214 to 191, with three democrats joining house republicans in voting to censure bowman.[65] afterwards, the house ethics committee dropped its review of bowman's actions as moot.[66] in september 2021, bowman voted in favor of providing israel with an additional $1 billion in aid to fund its iron dome missile defense system.[67] his vote was controversial among members of the democratic socialists of america (dsa), and sparked debate within the dsa about whether it should require that its members support boycott, divestment, and sanctions against israel.[68] a spokesman confirmed in october 2023 that bowman had let his dsa membership expire in 2022 following dsa's response to his vote.[69] but in may 2024, bowman rejoined the organization and was endorsed by its new york city chapter.[70][71] this came as he faced a strong primary challenge from george latimer, who was endorsed by many pro israel lobby groups.[72][38] bowman was among 51 house democrats who voted against the final passage of the 2022 national defense authorization act. explaining his vote, he said, "it is astounding how quickly congress moves weapons but we can't ensure housing, care, and justice for our veterans, nor invest in robust jobs programs for districts like mine."[73][74] on july 18, 2023, bowman and eight other progressive democrats voted against a congressional non binding resolution proposed by august pfluger that "the state of israel is not a racist or apartheid state", that congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia", and that "the united states will always be a staunch partner and supporter of israel".[75] on october 25, bowman and eight other progressive democrats, along with republican thomas massie, voted against a resolution supporting israel following the october 7 hamas led attack on the country.[76][77] on november 17, bowman called reports of israeli women being raped during the 2023 hamas attack "propaganda" and a "lie". after politico reached out to his office about his statements in march 2024, bowman retracted his previous remarks.[78][79] bowman apologized in june 2024, saying, "immediately when the u.n. provided additional evidence, i voted to condemn the sexual violence."[80][81] liberal israel lobby group j street withdrew its endorsement of bowman on january 29, 2024, citing the "framing and approach" of his response to the hamas attack. j street president jeremy ben ami said that bowman had "gone too far".[82] bowman lives with his wife, melissa oppenheimer, and their three children in yonkers, new york.[11][91] his wife was upset about his decision to run for office for "the first eleven months", bowman said on an episode of the carlos watson show.[92] bowman is a fan of new york hip hop group wu tang clan. he described hip hop as a "culture that is created by teenagers who were forgotten about, and because they were forgotten about, they were forced to come together and create something beautiful".[93] bowman drew inspiration from the wu tang clan during his underdog campaign,[94] and has frequently been seen in a wu tang clan emblazoned face covering during the covid 19 pandemic,[94][95][96] which gq noted allowed bowman to send voters a message.[97]
trump administration supported by mr. bowman faces george latimer in a house primary in new york that will test the party’s views on israel and the strength of its left wing faction. by claire fahy when representative jamaal bowman of new york won a democratic primary in 2020 as an untested middle school principal, his upset was heralded as evidence of the left’s ascent. four years later, mr. bowman is now the one fighting for his political life, battling to turn back a primary challenge from george latimer, the westchester county executive heavily backed by the american israel public affairs committee. the results of tuesday’s contest in the 16th congressional district, which covers parts of westchester county and the bronx, may test the durability of the democratic party’s progressive faction: if mr. bowman was to lose, he would be the first member of the house’s left wing “squad” to be unseated. with mr. bowman trailing in the polls, some of the left’s biggest luminaries have come to his defense, including representative alexandria ocasio cortez and senator bernie sanders of vermont, who joined mr. bowman at rallies over the weekend. but their late stage support has been countered by a fusillade of political advertising on behalf of mr. latimer. in barely a month, an aipac affiliated super pac has spent $14.5 million   up to $17,000 an hour   on the race. here’s what to know. jamaal bowman was elected to the house during the height of the covid 19 pandemic in 2020, after his primary upset of eliot l. engel, a 16 year incumbent backed by hillary clinton, house speaker nancy pelosi and andrew m. cuomo, then the governor of new york.

 the historically expensive bid to unseat rep. jamaal bowman is entering its final frantic hours as a moderate, white county executive from north of new york city   propelled by pro israel groups’ record advertising outlay   appears poised to deny the progressive, black former middle school principal a third term in congress. new york democrats are no strangers to hard nosed, high priced primary campaigns. but the fury that has captured the 16th congressional district, which covers parts of the bronx and suburban westchester, now threatens to open a wider rift in liberal politics, both here and across the country, where other progressive champions face primary challenges. the showdown between bowman against george latimer, the westchester county leader who entered the race in december at the urging of pro israel leaders, was always destined to spotlight the divisions within the democratic party over the israel’s war in gaza. what has followed, though, has been something much nastier. fraught debates over race and class, papered over for years in this diverse but largely segregated district, have exploded into a referendum on the nature   and future   of the party. defending bowman, now considered the most endangered democrat of this primary season, has become more than a political necessity. the fortunes being spent by the pro israel lobby, including aipac and democratic majority for israel, to boost latimer have contributed to the end of days vibe around the race. if bowman falls, his allies reason, a chilling effect will settle in, radiating up and down the ballot. “if they are successful in defeating jamaal, every member of congress” will be looking over their shoulder, vermont sen. bernie sanders said saturday at a rally for bowman, asking whether “the billionaire class is going to spend millions of dollars against me in my campaign? … look what they did to bowman in the bronx.”