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“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…
“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… 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 [AIPAC], a major lobbying organization that is working to oust progressives who have criticized Israel.” AP News
The left supports Bowman, arguing that he is being targeted because he has effectively pushed for progressive policies.
“[In 2019] Bowman was a longshot challenger running against a 30-year incumbent in Congress. At the time, the Green New Deal was considered a scary, lefty idea, and I was struck by how unapologetically this Bronx middle school principal laid out the case for both its sweeping vision and its real-world pragmatism. Bowman had a rare gift for connecting the dots between the right to a habitable planet for all children and the right of local kids to have safe drinking water flowing in their school’s fountains…
“[Last fall] I met Congressman Bowman again… While representatives in much safer seats still feared speaking out against Netanyahu’s U.S.-backed bloodshed, Bowman did not hesitate to lead once again, knowing full well that AIPAC would likely [retaliate]…
“Again, the public quickly joined Bowman. The majority of Americans, Democrats, and of American Jews now support a ceasefire. Sixty-nine percent of Democratic voters in Bowman’s Bronx and Westchester district, do too.”
Naomi Klein, New York Daily News
“AIPAC announced this spring that it would take extraordinary steps to remove progressive lawmakers who have called for a cease-fire in Gaza… Keep in mind: The Biden administration backs a plan for Gaza that would include a cease-fire, and polls show Americans increasingly support a cease-fire. Yet AIPAC is going full steam ahead…
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Bowman vs. Latimer showdown for progressives. The outcome represents much more than just the issue of money in politics. It raises concerns about right-wing money being funneled into Democratic primaries and tests the ability of AIPAC to shield Israel from criticism. But bigger than that, it is a test of how far America’s right wing will go to crush progressive movements.”
Karen Attiah, Washington Post
“The election tests the strength of organizations like the Justice Democrats, Working Families Party, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), all of whom have helped elect left Democrats to Congress. Because these groups draw upon the support of people of color and the working class, they will never be able to out-fundraise the likes of AIPAC…
“Their strength is their ‘people power’—volunteers by the hundreds or thousands hitting the phones and the streets—and the appeal of politics like Medicare for All, universal childcare, and free college tuition that challenge the status quo. But if the status quo can come back to squash the left’s most vocal representatives, it will call into question the strategy of activating a previously overlooked and disaffected base.”
Hadas Thier, The Nation
The right criticizes Bowman, arguing that he has extreme and offensive views about Israel and other issues.
The right criticizes Bowman, arguing that he has extreme and offensive views about Israel and other issues.
“Things just got worse this week for Bowman — and in an embarrassing way. A group representing black voters, the National Black Empowerment Action Fund, plans to invest at least $500,000 in an effort to unseat Bowman. The group’s founder, Darius Jones, explained that it jumped into the race because of Bowman’s extreme positions…
“Jones stated, ‘We’re trying to champion an effort to help amplify the voices of Black voters who are focused on safe communities, good-paying jobs, driving down the cost of living, having school choice for their kids, health care and just realizing better life outcomes.… And it’s going to take responsible leadership that’s keenly focused on those priorities as opposed to far-flung ideologies and agendas.’ Bowman has gone too far to the left for many liberal voters to stomach.”
Ellie Gardey Holmes, American Spectator
“Latimer has a lot of material to work with. Take for example, the 9/11 conspiracy theories Bowman peddled in free-verse poetry on his personal blog in 2011. Or the comments Bowman made during a rally with pro-Palestinian protesters in Westchester in November: ‘There was propaganda used in the beginning of the siege. There’s still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women. But they still keep using that lie [for] propaganda.’”
Audrey Fahlberg, National Review
“Latimer is a solid, straightforward longtime public servant, a mainstream New York Democrat who promises to work across the aisle and focus on affordable housing, jobs for the middle class and working-class people and climate change. Rep. Bowman is a race-obsessed fan of YouTube conspiracy theories and spreader of 9/11 hokum who long denied Hamas’ violent, on-video rapes of Israeli women on Oct. 7…
“He’s also a liar to the people of his district: He’s been telling them he generally supports Israel and quit the Democratic Socialists of America… Yet he recently met with the local DSA behind closed doors and told them: ‘I didn’t let my dues lapse.’ More, he said he ‘personally’ backs the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement but hasn’t not gone public about it because of the ‘large Jewish population, large Zionist population, large pro-Israel population, large AIPAC population’ in the district.”
Editorial Board, New York Post
“He refused to vote for a resolution that condemned Hamas for the October 7 terrorist attacks… Bowman also appeared with Norman Finkelstein, saying he was ‘a bit starstruck’ when introducing the anti-Israel author, who has previously praised Hezbollah and spread conspiracy theories about the Holocaust… Bowman deserves to lose. We should relish in his defeat.”
Ben Rothove, Washington Examiner
