Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as voters head to the polls in New York for the Democratic primary.
The far-left squad member is locked in a contentious primary against George Latimer, and polls show he is hanging by a thread.
The primaries will test whether his support for the Palestinians, his furious criticism of Israel and his progressive policies will lead to his downfall in his Bronx and Westchester district.
Bowman is seeking a third term in a primary that has seen historic levels of spending and could be the first member of the progressive squad expelled from Congress if he is defeated.
The powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has invested $15 million in the campaign against him.
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political survival as voters head to the polls in New York for the Democratic primary. He campaigned with fellow squad members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, in Mount Vernon on Monday.
‘Let’s show fucking AIPAC the power of the fucking South Bronx!’ Bowman shouted Saturday at a rally with fellow progressive ‘Squad’ member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Bowman has long been critical of Israel, even more so since the Hamas attack on October 7, even though his district has a large Jewish electorate.
The former director who once pulled the fire alarm at the Capitol during votes lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., endorsed Latimer on Monday.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also joined the race on Latimer’s side.
TO survey A poll earlier this month by Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill released Tuesday found Latimer leading Bowman with 48 percent support to 31 percent, with 21 percent of respondents undecided.
Bowman opposed funding Israel and has considered the nation’s attacks on Gaza a “genocide.”
Squad member Bowman is seeking a third term in a contentious primary against George Latimer, above, and the full force of AIPAC is rallying against him: His super PAC has invested $15 million in the race.
In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is black, attacked Latimer for his close ties to AIPAC and claimed that he had walked slowly toward desegregation as Westchester County executive.
“He claims to be a Democrat, but he has the support of racist MAGA Republicans who support taking away his right to vote, gutting his right to an abortion,” Bowman said.
“This is an example of race being used as a weapon,” Latimer responded. “What we have to do is bring people together.”
Last week, Bowman came under fire for a new report that claimed he asked a Jewish leader to send him photos of them together to prove he has Jewish friends.
A private text between Bowman and an unnamed Jewish leader from when Bowman first ran for re-election in 2022 was published by Jewish Insider on Tuesday.
Bowman visited the Edenwald neighborhood of the Bronx in the pouring rain to plead with residents to support him in the primary.
Bowman has the backing of progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The former director who once pulled the fire alarm at the Capitol during votes lost the support of at least one colleague: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., endorsed Latimer on Monday.
‘Do you have photos of us? “This way I can show the world that I am a friend of the Jewish people,” Bowman wrote, according to the report.
The leader did have a photo with Bowman, but did not share it with the congressman.
“I felt uncomfortable,” the Jewish leader said of the awkward message. ‘I kind of joked with him about that. I said, ‘Oh, I’m sure you guys have it.’ Don’t worry about that.’
“I thought, ‘I don’t want to be their court Jew,'” he said. “That’s not what I signed up for.”