- A New York progressive is in trouble ahead of his upcoming primary
- The former Secretary of State seems to be in favor of his dismissal
Hillary Clinton has taken the unusual step of endorsing the primary opponent of an incumbent House Democrat in New York.
The former Secretary of State and former New York senator has endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer for the congressional seat currently held by Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
“With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever,” Clinton wrote in X on Wednesday.
‘In Congress, @LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, take on the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda, like he always has. Make a plan to vote before June 25!’ she added.
Clinton’s endorsement of Latimer is a de facto stance against Bowman’s continued career in the House.
Hillary Clinton endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer in his primary against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
Bowman (pictured) is likely in trouble as a recent poll suggests Latimer, 70, could win a landslide victory over the incumbent.
Bowman, running for his third term in Congress, is a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called ‘Squad,’ which has drawn criticism from his own party and elsewhere for its continued criticism of Israel in the wake of October. 7.
His primary against Latimer is one of the most competitive in the House and is being closely watched by Democrats and Republicans.
Its seat, New York’s 16th Congressional District, covers half of Westchester County and a small portion of the Bronx. The territory is deep blue, which means that whoever emerges victorious from the Democratic primaries will surely go to Congress.
Latimer, responding to the 2016 presidential candidate’s endorsement, responded, “I am honored to have the endorsement of Hillary Clinton, whose decades of service are an inspiration,” and noted that early voting begins this weekend.
Bowman, whose district has a large Jewish electorate, has arguably alienated a significant number of his voters by taking a fervently anti-Israel position and repeatedly digging in the months since the outbreak of war.
“It has gone so far that even the left-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street withdrew its endorsement of Bowman in January, complaining that he had crossed a line by blaming too much of the conflict on Israel and not Hamas,” wrote Manu Raju of CNN last month.
While Latimer has defended Israel as the war sparked by Hamas terrorism continues, Bowman, 48, was quick to call Israel an “apartheid state” in the weeks after the attack.
He was also an early proponent of the narrative claiming that the rapes of Israeli women and the murders of children were “lies.” He later retracted some of those comments.
For these and other reasons, Bowman has seen a decline in support from members of his own party; the latest example is Clinton’s clear endorsement of Latimer.
While Latimer (pictured) has defended Israel as the war sparked by Hamas terrorism continues, Bowman, 48, was quick to call Israel an “apartheid state” in the weeks after the attack.
Recent polls suggest Latimer, 70, could win a landslide victory over the incumbent.
Late last year, Bowman was also censured by the Republican-led House of Representatives after setting off a fire alarm in what appeared to be an attempt to disrupt a vote.
The congressman claims to have sounded the alarm “by mistake” when he was heading to the House to vote. But security footage clearly showed the lawmaker removing warning signs on a locked exit door before opening it and eventually setting off the alarm.
Warning signs indicated that an alarm would sound if the doors were opened.