Representative Jamal Bowman, a progressive lawmaker who has been vocal in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, is the latest member of the squad to face an aggressive primary challenge — one that highlights Democrats’ broader divide over the U.S.’s view of Israel.
Bowman, a two-term lawmaker, is known for supporting progressive policies, including Medicare-for-All. And the Green New Deal. Since the brutal October 7 attacks by Hamas and Israel’s devastating military offensive in Gaza, he has become one of the country’s staunchest critics on Capitol Hill. Bowman was among the first to call for a cease-firethere is Voted against military aid to Israeland have described their invasion of Gaza as genocide. inside A set of controversial comments, Bowman also questioned whether Hamas sexually assaulted Israel during its operations, a statement he eventually walked back.
These positions became central to his race, which underscored the Democratic divide on the issue.
Bowman’s position has made him a top target for pro-Israel advocacy groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), losing him support from left-leaning Jewish organizations. J Street, and some of Bowman’s constituencies called for a primary challenge, for example. It encouraged groups including AIPAC to spend a staggering amount to bolster his opponent, making it the most expensive House primary ever.
Bowman’s challenge comes from Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who has been in state and local politics for decades and has established himself as a moderate alternative. Latimer maintains their differences on policy toward Israel. Unlike Bowman, Latimer was much slower to support a temporary truceAlthough both he and Bowman said Support a two-state solution.
There are several other factors affecting this race, such as the negative attention Bowman received for pulling the fire alarm in Congress, and Past blog posts He writes entertaining conspiracy theories about September 11. (Bowman has expressed regret for the posts and said he doesn’t believe them.) For his part, Latimer has also been accused of outright racism by Bowman and his associates. The statement he made and his vision Segregation policy in Westchester County. Overall, however, the race is being closely watched because of the Gaza war.
“If Bowman wins, it could explain to some where the Democratic Party is going in terms of support for Israel at large — which is far from it,” said Daniel DiSalvo, a political scientist at the City College of New York. “If Latimer wins, it could be interpreted the other way around, which is that there is still strong support for Israel within the Democratic Party.”
That said, the race is just one of dozens of primaries held this year, and the key differences specific to each race shouldn’t be read as an exact analogy to the others expected. Instead, it’s one data point of many that gives some indication of where the Democratic Party stands and how fractured it has become on this issue.
Bowman’s Elementary, Briefly Explained
Bowman — a former middle school principal and the first black congressman to represent New York’s 16th district — was first elected in 2020, after mounting a successful progressive primary challenge to then-Rep. Eliot Engel. Spanning parts of the Bronx, Yonkers, and Westchester County suburbs, The district has a majority black and Latino voter baseas well as a large group of Jewish voters.
While in Congress, she has been a member of the Squad, a group of progressive lawmakers that includes Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The group has called on 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 race, according to limited polling, appears to be more closely contested. In an independent early June survey of likely voters Emerson University, Latimer led Bowman with 17 points. Bowman claims that his internal polls were too close, and that Emerson’s method led to a skewed result. Due to the lack of polling in the race, it’s hard to say how much or little Emerson’s results are likely to reflect the final outcome.
“We’re looking at a competition that, so far, has basically been a coin flip,” he said Jonathan CollinsProfessor of Political Science at Columbia.
The hard-fought nation has attracted a lot of outside attention, largely because of how central Israeli policy has become, And it broke spending records. AIPAC, and its affiliates, which have reportedly pledged to spend $100 million on candidates they deem not supportive enough of the country, have spent more than $14 million behind Latimer. In total, outside groups spent more than $18 million to boost Latimer and more than $2 million to bolster Bowman — a dynamic that led to attacks on out-of-competition spending.
“This race against AIPAC is a really good litmus test as it relates to, because [they’re] A big money lobby [that’s] Spending more money on this race than has been spent on primaries in history,” Bowman previously told Rolling Stone. “They’re doing it because they don’t want to advance a progressive agenda.”
Bowman’s position on Israel has become more progressive over time: in 2021, he previously supported military aid and funding for the Iron Dome, a defense system on which the country relies. A trip to the West Bank followed that year, however, Bowman told Politico The discrimination he witnessed changed his perspective.
Latimer, who previously served as a state representative and state senator — while emphasizing his ideological contrasts with Bowman — cited local tax cuts and infrastructure investments he has overseen in his current role as examples of how he has delivered for the region.
Bowman’s campaign has also been plagued by allegations of racism, and others, for the comments he made. Among them, Latimer said Bowman has a “racial advantage” and that his constituency is “Dearborn, Michigan,” which has a larger Arab American population than many U.S. cities. Bowman said Latimer exploited the “angry black man” trope in his campaign attacks and belittled those who supported him. Officers of Westchester The region has also been criticized for implementing the isolation policy too slowly. Latimer denies allegations of racism.
Democrats are divided on Israel
The Bowman and Latimer primaries highlight an enduring Democratic divide as Israel’s invasion of Gaza — and the resulting humanitarian crisis — deepens. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 37,000 people were killed in the region, and more than 85,000 were injured. Palestinians in Gaza also face the risk of famine and disease as food, water and medical supplies are all devastatingly low. And tens of thousands of Gazans have been displaced by Israeli military airstrikes and the lack of safe zones.
President Joe Biden has long taken a more supportive stance in favor of military aid to Israel, prompting outcry from progressives — and A growing number Democratic lawmakers — who have called for more restrictions or accountability on how those funds are dispersed.
Bowman’s race, which is being held in a solidly blue district, underscores those differences and could indicate where loyal Democratic voters stand on the issue. Additionally, it may reveal how resilient progressive members who have left longstanding establishment positions and entered Congress will continue to be.
Progressives, including Squad members, have been far more aggressive than most of their colleagues in pushing for a cease-fire in Gaza and an end to US aid to Israel. There are some indications that the Democratic base is aligned with these progressives: for example, 83 percent are Democrats Data for the May 2024 Progress Poll have said they support the cease-fire, and a Gallup poll also found that most Americans disapprove of Israel’s actions. When specifically asked about conflict, But more Americans support Israel against militant groups.
The outcome of the Bowman-Lattima face-off could provide another signal about where Democrats stand on the issue.
There is some suggestion that Democrats in blue districts want leaders who are to the left of Biden on Israel. Earlier this year, Rep. Summer Lee fended off a primary challenge in Pennsylvania’s 12th District when she attacked Israel for her position. Similarly, in California, state Sen. Dave Minn, a candidate who has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, won a primary in Katie Porter’s former district, despite AIPAC efforts to endorse her opponent.
And it can also be a harbinger of horse racing. Other progressives are poised to see similar challenges soon, including Rep. Cory Bush, who has seen AIPAC pour money into his race, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, who faces off against a more centrist challenger later this year.
