Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Progressive Israel Critic, Loses Reelection Bid

George Latimer’s victory is a major defeat for the left.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. ― Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a progressive firebrand and outspoken advocate for Palestinians’ rights, lost his Democratic primary on Tuesday, marking the first defeat of an incumbent member of the ultraliberal “Squad” and a major setback for the country’s once-ascendant activist left.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer, 70, defeated Bowman, 48, in New York’s 16th Congressional District, which encompasses the lower half of suburban Westchester County and a sliver of the northeastern Bronx. Latimer, a 35-year veteran of Westchester politics, is all but assured a seat in Congress come November since the solid Democratic seat is not competitive in the general election.

Latimer benefited from the fundraising and super PAC support of pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Democratic Majority for Israel. AIPAC’s super PAC alone spent nearly $15 million pummeling Bowman in TV, digital and direct-mail advertising, contributing to pro-Latimer outside groups’ nine-to-one spending advantage over Bowman-aligned independent spending programs.

That some of AIPAC’s biggest super PAC donors are Republican billionaires and multimillionaires was a source of particular frustration for Bowman and his progressive allies.

Usama Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that first recruited Bowman to run in the 2020 cycle, predicted AIPAC’s spending would have a “chilling effect,” dampening congressional Democrats’ appetite for outspoken criticism of Israel.