- JDCA endorses George Latimer in New York and Wesley Bell in Missouri
- The backups are part of a larger group, bringing the total of backups to 83
- Group focused on mobilizing Jewish voters to help elect Democrats
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The Democratic Jewish Council of America announced a new batch of candidate endorsements for 2024 and includes endorsements of the primary opponents of two members of The Squad.
The JDCA announced that it will endorse House candidate George Latimer for New York’s 16th District seat, just north of New York City, in the primary against Congressman Jamaal Bowman.
He also supports the candidacy of Wesley Bell, who is running in the primary to unseat Congresswoman Cori Bush in Missouri’s 1st District in St. Louis.
Thursday’s endorsements of the two leading contenders were part of a larger group of candidate endorsements by the Jewish Democratic group, which is promising to mobilize Jewish voters before November to help Democrats in the elections.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., speaking at a press conference calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in November 2023.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaking in Washington at a rally on Oct. 18.
It comes as Bowman and Bush have been openly critical of Israel in its ongoing war in Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.
Latimer is currently the Westchester County Executive and former New York State Senator and Assemblyman. He formally launched his candidacy for the job in December, arguing that Bowman was good at getting attention but not so good at getting results.
Bowman has also faced criticism from Jewish groups more recently for his calls for a ceasefire and for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress last summer.
Wesley Bell announced that he would run in the primary for Missouri’s 1st District seat in St. Louis in late October.
He originally ran in the state Senate Democratic primary, but announced he would challenge Bush following his criticism of Israel following the Hamas attack.
Bell was elected St. Louis County prosecutor, unseating the longtime incumbent in 2018. He previously served as a public defender and on the city council.
George Latimer is running against Rep. Bowman in the primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District. He is the executive of Westchester County.
Wesley Bell is the St. Louis County Prosecutor and is running against Rep. Bush in the Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.
In endorsing Bell and Latimer, as well as the other slate of candidates, JDCA President Ron Klein criticized the “incompetence” of Republicans and the “extremism” of Donald Trump, calling him dangerous to American Jews.
He said the sponsors “not only share our core values as American Jews, but are experienced leaders who fervently oppose the right-wing extremism that puts our community at risk.”
The JDCA PAC is launching a $1.5 million mobilization campaign and focuses on mobilizing Jewish voters to help elect Democrats.
In total, the group has endorsed 83 candidates in the cycle, as well as the reelection of President Biden and Vice President Harris.
Other endorsements Thursday included Senate candidates Rubén Gallego in Arizona, Adam Schiff in California, Elissa Slotkin in Michigan, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in Florida and Colin Allred in Texas.