In a Democrat main in suburban New York on Tuesday, George Latimer, a pro-Israel moderate, defeated US Rep. Jamaal Bowman, highlighting the party’s strong units over the Gaza war.
With the triumph, Latimer has replaced one of the most progressive critics of Israel and one of its most vocal opponents of Israel. In Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have died in military attacks, Bowman has accused Israel of carrying out a murder.
Latimer, a former state lawmaker who has served as Westchester County administrative since 2018, was a candidate who entered the race at the urging of Israeli officials and received significant financial support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Following the contested election, Latimer demanded more civility in a win speech.
At a White Plains event, he told supporters,” We have to fight to make sure we do n’t vilify each other and we remember that we’re all Americans, and our shared future is bound together.”
” We argue, we discussion, we find a way to travel up”, he said, adding that all staff had a responsibility to find ways to function across political split and stop the country from splitting.
Bowman had been seeking a second word, representing a city in New York City’s northern cities. His fight is a punch to the progressive wing of the party and a possible cautionary tale for candidates trying to influence their communication regarding the Israel-Hamas discord.
His defeat even slowed down what has typically been a steady primary season for congressional candidates. Despite Donald Trump backing his party, GOP Rep. Bob Good is in a nearby fight with a competitor in a culture that is too near to telephone. The majority of current members of Congress have been able to fend off opposition from within their group.
” This movement has always been about fairness. It has always been about society. Marshall admitted he lost the election but maintained defiant support for the war in Gaza at his election party in Yonkers.” It has always been about equality.
In an effort to unseat Bowman, who has accused the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race, the political action committee of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent nearly$ 15 million on the primary.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee stated in a statement that the race’s results once more demonstrated how favorable the pro-Israel position is to both parties in terms of both policy and politicians.
Some key progressive numbers have rushed to Bowman’s protection. In the last stretch of the contest, he rallied with liberals Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Latimer secured Hillary Clinton’s support.
On Israel, both Bowman and Latimer assistance a two- state option. They have also both condemned Hamas ‘ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that killed around 1, 200 persons. However, Bowman was one of the few liberals to reject a symbolic House resolution supporting Israel following the attack on October 7. Latimer tightly supports Israel and asserts that negotiating a cease-fire with Hamas is a non-starter because he thinks it to be a terrorist organization.
After running as a democratic rebel in 2020, Bowman was first elected as a representative of the average US, Eliot Engel, a 16-term congressman who presided over a House committee on international politics. This time, Bowman, 48, also embraced the political outsider approach, portraying Latimer as a device used by Democratic donors and pro-Israel organizations.
Latimer claimed that Bowman’s criticism of Israel was merely a component of Bowman’s decision to challenge the prime minister. He claimed Bowman has n’t been thoughtful about the district’s needs, has n’t established relationships with its leaders, and was more interested in airing commercials on cable than helping people.
Latimer, who has spent more than three decades in politics, frequently exhibited his extensive local information and connections to support his position as a powerful member of Congress during the strategy. It’s a clear dig at Bowman that Latimer has said that’s the kind of politics people want from their elected representatives, rather than vicious conflicts between the way right and the far left.
In addition to his place on Israel, Bowman has received persistent criticism for an event last year when he triggered a fire alarms in a House creating while politicians were drafting a financing costs. He claimed it was accidental, and that the alarm rang out when he attempted to vote by opening a locked door. Bowman received criticism from his House colleagues, and the incident drew obscene news attention.
Since Bowman first took office in 2020, the congressional district’s boundaries have changed, with more of Westchester County’s suburbs and the majority of its Bronx losing.
Today, 21 % of its voting- age population is Black and 42 % is non- Hispanic white, according to USCensus figures, compared to 30 % Black and 34 % white in the district as it existed through 2022. Bowman is Black. Latimer is white.
As the election approached, Bowman concentrated on increasing voter turnout in the Bronx’s remaining neighborhoods, warning residents there that the outcome of the election could depend on their votes. He also spent the majority of his election day in the Bronx, and on Tuesday, a video from the social media site X showed Bowman marching down a street in the Bronx with a drum line behind him.
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.
Democratic Party leaders have focused on advancing toward centrist candidates who might perform better in suburban races on a national scale.
Also on Tuesday, former CNN anchor John Avlon was chosen as the Republican Rep. Nick LaLota’s challenger in a district that has been GOP-controlled for a decade.
In the Democratic primary, Avlon defeated retired chemistry professor Nancy Goroff. Democrats are placing a high priority on the Long Island congressional district as they try to retake suburban New York as part of a plan to snag a majority in the House.
However, Democrats may face an uphill battle in November when they win the seat after Democratic state lawmakers change its boundaries during redistricting to make it a little more welcoming to Republicans to increase their chances in other districts.
Democrats in central New York chose state senator John Mannion to face Republican Rep. Brandon Williams, a Republican who represents a recently reorganized congressional district where President Joe Biden defeated Trump by 11 points in the 2020 election.
In the Dewitt, Syracuse suburb, Mannion defeated Sarah Klee Hood, a town councilor.
In a different race, incumbent US Rep. Claudia Tenney’s primary challenge was thwarted by Mario Fratto, a businessman and attorney who had previously lost to Tenney in the previous primary election for the safely Republican seat along Lake Ontario.
