(Patriot.Buzz) – Even the Democratic base is rejecting the leftist extremism, as “Squad” member Jamaal Bowman lost his primary bid for New York’s 16th Congressional District to Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Bowman, who joined Congress in 2021, was defeated by Latimer, a candidate who enjoyed backing from The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
This marks Bowman as the first member of the progressive “squad” to lose to a moderate challenger.
Despite his loss, Bowman remained defiant. “Jamaal Bowman ain’t going nowhere,” he declared to his supporters. “Let’s start winning big.”
In his victory speech, Latimer discussed his view of political office as a commitment to the electorate.
“You do not need a campaign ad to tell you who George Latimer is; you have seen who I am,” he said. “I have never seen an election as a blank check. It is a promissory note from me to you.”
Bowman’s campaign faced significant challenges, including scandals and a substantial polling disadvantage, and a recent poll by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill showed him trailing Latimer by 17 points.
Bowman particularly faced criticism for his comments regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict and for his critique of pro-Israeli lobbyists like AIPAC.
At a rally on November 17, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Bowman made controversial comments that he later had to retract and apologize for.
He continued to express strong opinions against Israeli lobbyists, emphatically stating at a rally, “We are gonna f***ing show AIPAC the power of the mother f***ing South Bronx.”
Conversely, Latimer has shown support for Israel and has received significant campaign contributions from AIPAC.
The financial stakes in this race were high, with AIPAC channeling nearly $15 million against Bowman through its affiliate the United Democracy Project, making this primary the most expensive House race in history, costing about $25 million.
Bowman also made headlines last September when he was involved in a scandal where he pulled a fire alarm during a House vote.
He initially claimed it was an accident but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was censured by the House.
Throughout his campaign, Bowman aligned himself with prominent progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Copyright 2024, Patriot.Buzz
