New York congressman Jamaal Bowman has lost a primary challenge in a closely watched race that highlighted a deep rift within the Democratic party over the Israel-Gaza war. Projections indicate that George Latimer, 70, who entered the race encouraged by local Jewish leaders angry with Mr. Bowman’s criticism of Israel, emerged victorious.
Mr. Bowman, a former school principal, had accused Israel of genocide and questioned the Biden administration’s support for Israel, sparking controversy. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent nearly $15 million in the primary to unseat the left-wing representative in New York’s 16th congressional district. Overall, $24.8 million was spent by various groups, making it the most expensive House of Representatives primary in history.
With 88% of votes counted on Tuesday evening, Mr. Latimer secured over 58% of the vote, compared to 42% for Mr. Bowman. Mr. Latimer, a long-time former county executive, positioned himself as a staunch defender of Israel and characterized Hamas as a terrorist organization that cannot be negotiated with.
Following his victory, Mr. Latimer delivered a unity message, condemning extremist views from both the far right and far left. “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 took office in 2020, accused AIPAC of trying to “buy” the race in the district, which includes Westchester County and part 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 stated.
Last year, Mr. Bowman was formally censured by US lawmakers after he activated a fire alarm while Congress was in session, causing an evacuation as Democrats were attempting to delay a vote to prevent a government shutdown.
Mr. Latimer received support from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while Mr. Bowman was backed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, left-wing representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.
Primary races were also held on Tuesday in Utah and Colorado. In Colorado, Republican Lauren Boebert emerged victorious over five rivals in the state’s fourth congressional district. Ms. Boebert, 37, chose to run in the heavily conservative district after narrowly winning re-election in the third district in 2022. This primary was her first electoral campaign since her personal life drew national media attention, including an incident last year where she was escorted out of a theatre performance in Denver after complaints of vaping, singing, and causing a disturbance.
