New York Primary Voters Oust ‘Squad’ Member Jamaal Bowman
In New York’s 16th congressional district Democratic primary, voters chose George Latimer over incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Bowman, a member of the progressive “Squad,” suffered a significant defeat, with early projections indicating Latimer’s clear lead shortly after polls closed. Latimer had received endorsements from high-profile Democrats like Hillary Clinton and former governor David Paterson, while Bowman was supported by his “Squad” colleagues and appeared on various leftist media programs. Pre-election polls had already suggested Bowman’s likely defeat.
Controversially, Bowman held an anti-Israel rally with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, where he used profanity and aggressive rhetoric responding to a large campaign by AIPAC against him. He also accused Israel of genocide, referencing the military actions in Gaza. This defeat marks the end of Bowman’s congressional tenure, following a campaign where his more radical positions were spotlighted.
Class has been dismissed for “Squad” member and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.
On Tuesday, Democrat primary voters in the Empire State’s 16th congressional district sent the former middle school principal into political retirement, instead selecting challenger George Latimer to be the party’s nominee this November. Unofficial results show Latimer leading Bowman by a significant margin, with outlets such as Decision Desk HQ and NBC News projecting the former as the winner less than an hour after polls closed.
Latimer was endorsed by prominent Democrats such as failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former New York Gov. David Paterson. Meanwhile, Bowman received support from his fellow radical “Squad” members and was recently featured on leftist programs such as “The View” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in an apparent attempt to boost his levels of support ahead of Election Day.
Polls released in the months leading up to Tuesday’s contest correctly predicted Bowman’s downfall. A Hill/Emerson survey commissioned several weeks ago, for example, showed 48 percent of NY-16 voters backing Latimer and just 31 percent supporting Bowman.
Bowman’s humiliating defeat came days after the New York congressman held an anti-Israel, profanity-laced rally with Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the South Bronx. Responding to news that AIPAC, a lobbying group that advocates for pro-Israel policies, launched a $14 million campaign against his reelection bid, Bowman claimed, “We’re all going to show f-cking AIPAC the power of the motherf-cking South Bronx.”
“People ask me why I’ve got a foul mouth: What am I supposed to do? You comin’ after me. You comin’ after my family. You comin’ after my children. I’m not supposed to fight back?” Bowman yelled to his supporters. “We’re going to show them who the f-ck we are.”
The New York congressman also falsely accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, in an apparent reference to country’s military response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
But Bowman’s pro-Hamas antics are just the tip of the iceberg. The soon-to-be former New York congressman is best known for pulling a fire alarm in the U.S. Capitol last year to delay a congressional vote. When confronted by reporters, the former middle school principal feigned innocence, claiming he was “in a rush” and thought the emergency panel would unlock a door.
“I tried the door, it didn’t work so I pulled the alarm thinking it would open. That didn’t work, so I went downstairs,” Bowman said. “It was a dumb choice, but you know, it is what it is.”
As The Federalist’s Tristan Justice previously noted, Bowman regularly “smeared demonstrators at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as ‘violent insurrectionists‘ whose ‘terrorist attack’ warranted a federal crackdown.” Of course, Bowman received a slap on the wrist from prosecutors, who required the Democrat pay a $1,000 fine and serve three months of probation in order for the fire alarm charge to be dismissed from his record.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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