‘Squad’ Member Jamaal Bowman Loses NY House Primary to Pro-Israel Challenger

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) was defeated by challenger George Latimer in New York’s 16th Congressional District Democratic House Primary on Tuesday.

The Details: With 88% of the vote reported, Latimer led by 17 points, the same margin an Emerson poll from earlier this month found him to be favored by. The House race was the most expensive ever, with over $25 million raised and spent. Latimer is expected to win the House seat in November, as the district is solidly Democratic.

For Context: The race exposed a divide in the Democratic Party between progressives and more centrist Democrats. Bowman received the endorsements of Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who attended a campaign rally for him over the weekend, while Latimer was endorsed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).

Funding: Media across the spectrum noted that an AIPAC-affiliated (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) super PAC spent $14.5 million in the past month campaigning on behalf of Latimer. 

How The Media Covered It: The Hill (Center bias) noted, “The 16th District is a heavily Jewish area but also has Arab American residents.” Politico (Lean Left bias) said Bowman went into the race with advantages like district lines being “redrawn slightly in his favor” and an endorsement from House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. National Review (Lean Right bias) mentioned that Bowman recently “complained that the suburban district’s Jewish community was too highly concentrated.”